Effect of operating parameters and titanium source on photodegradation of phenol

Abstract

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ catalystshave been successfully prepared by a sol-gel process. The results indicate that the reaction parameters and titanium source (titanium isopropoxid, titanium tetrachloride and titanium tetrabutoxide) affect the photocatalytic activity. The materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller techniques. TiO₂ particle <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">prepared using TiCl₄ is found to be the most active catalyst forphotodecomposition of phenol under UV light. TiO₂(TiCl₄-600) shows the highest reaction rate (0.62 <span style="mso-fareast-language: TR;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">mg L^-1min^-1) and 100% mineralization of phenol is achieved within 2 h. <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-TT" lang="EN-TT">Also, the catalytic activity of TiO₂(TiCl₄-600) is found to be higher than Degussa P-25 photocatalyst. <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-TT" lang="EN-TT">The photocatalytic performances are in the order TiO₂(TiCl₄-600) > TiO₂(TB-600) > TiO₂(TIP-600). Anatase form of TiO₂ is more effective for photodegradation of phenol.

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