TiO₂@palygorskite composite for the efficient remediation of oil spills via a dispersion-photodegradation synergy

Highlights

• A novel and multi-functional clay-based oil spill remediation system was constructed.

• TiO₂@PAL functions as a particulate dispersant to break oil slick into tiny droplets.

• Effective dispersion leads to the direct contact of TiO₂ with oil pollutes directly.

• TiO₂ loaded on PAL exhibits efficient photodegradation for oil pollutants.

• TiO₂@PAL shows a typical dispersion-photocatalysis synergistic remediation.

Abstract

Removing spilled oil from the water surface is critically important given that oil spill accidents are a common occurrence. In this study, TiO₂@Palygorskite composite prepared by a simple coprecipitation method was used for oil spill remediation via a dispersion-photodegradation synergy. Diesel could be efficiently dispersed into small oil droplets by TiO₂@Palygorskite. These dispersed droplets had an average diameter of 20–30 mm and exhibited good time stability. The tight adsorption of TiO₂@Palygorskite on the surface of the droplets was observed in fluorescence and SEM images. As a particulate dispersant, the direct contact of TiO₂@Palygorskite with oil pollutants effectively enhanced the photodegradation efficiency of TiO₂ for oil. During the photodegradation process, •O₂⁻and •OH were detected by ESR and radical trapping experiments. The photodegradation efficiency of diesel by TiO₂@Palygorskite was enhanced by about 5 times compared with pure TiO₂ under simulated sunlight irradiation. The establishment of this new dispersion-photodegradation synergistic remediation system provides a new direction for the development of marine oil spill remediation.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Palygorskite / TiO₂ / Pickering emulsion / Oil spill / Dispersion / Photodegradation

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Key Development Program of Science and Technology in Shandong Province (No. 2018GSF117041), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21773219), and the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM2016ORP0308). This is MCTL contribution No. 225.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-020-1365-3 and is accessible for authorized users.

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