[nanoPost] Nanocrystalline TiO2 using ionic liquid assisted photocatalytic degradation of azo d

University Iran

The waste water generated by the textile industry contains considerable amount of azo dyes. Various methods have been applied for the removal of colored compounds but these methods are associated with the fact that they are not destructive and their action is limited to transfer of the pollutant from one phase to another. Thus, there is a need to develop new technologies that would be more effective in elimination of dyes: from the waste stream. TiO2 photocatalysis is currently accepted as one of the most promising technologies for the destruction of commercial dyes. In this project, we focus on using an effective template, ionic liquid, in sol-gel method to prepare photocatalyst with small grain size,controlled porosity,and tailor-designed pore size distribution. In addition, ionic liquids are receiving much attention as environmentally benign solvents.

Therefore, nanocrystalline TiO2 was synthesized by a modified sol-gel method with 2-hydroxy ethyl ammonium formate ionic liquid and the structural properties of TiO2 particle were determined from the nitrogen isotherm at 77 K. The XRD patterns were collected with a D4 X-ray diffractometer using CuKa to determine the crystal structure and crystallinity of TiO2 particles. Samples prepared with ionic liquid show significantly higher photocatalytic activity compared to commercial photocatalyst degussa p-25 consisting of an anatase/rutile proportion of 70/30 under similar conditions.