Mesocrystalline TiO2/sepiolite composites for the effective degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue

Ruirui LIU, Zhijiang JI, Jing WANG, Jinjun ZHANG

Front. Mater. Sci. ›› 2018, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3) : 292-303.

PDF(668 KB)
Front. Mater. Sci. All Journals
PDF(668 KB)
Front. Mater. Sci. ›› 2018, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3) : 292-303. DOI: 10.1007/s11706-018-0429-9
RESEARCH ARTICLE
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Mesocrystalline TiO2/sepiolite composites for the effective degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue

Author information +
History +

Abstract

Mesocrystalline TiO2/sepiolite (TiS) composites with the function of adsorption and degradation of liquid organic pollutants were successfully fabricated via a facile and low-cost solvothermal reaction. The prepared TiS composites were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, XPS, N2 adsorption–desorption, UV-vis DRS, and EPR. Results revealed the homogeneous dispersion of highly reactive TiO2 mesocrystals on the sepiolite nanofibers. Thereinto each single-crystal-like TiO2 mesocrystal comprised many [001]-oriented anatase nanoparticles about 10–20 nm in diameter. The photocatalytic activity was further evaluated by the degradation of anionic dye (methyl orange) and cationic dye (methylene blue) under the UV-vis light (350≤λ≤780 nm) irradiation. By selecting appropriate experimental conditions, we can easily manipulate the photocatalytic performance of TiS composites. The optimal TiS catalyst (the sepiolite content of 28.5 wt.%, and the reaction time of 24 h) could efficiently degrade methyl orange to 90.7% after 70 min, or methylene blue to 97.8% after 50 min, under UV-vis light irradiation. These results can be attributed to their synergistic effect of high crystallinity, large specific surface area, abundant hydroxyl radicals, and effective photogenerated charge separation.

Keywords

TiO2/sepiolite / mesocrystal / solvothermal / composites / photocatalysis

Cite this article

Download citation ▾
Ruirui LIU, Zhijiang JI, Jing WANG, Jinjun ZHANG. Mesocrystalline TiO2/sepiolite composites for the effective degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue. Front. Mater. Sci., 2018, 12(3): 292‒303 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-018-0429-9
This is a preview of subscription content, contact us for subscripton.

References

[1]
Trandafilovic L V, Jovanovic D J, Zhang X, . Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methylorange by ZnO:Eu nanoparticles. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017, 203: 740–752
CrossRef Google scholar
[2]
Stathatos E, Papoulis D, Aggelopoulos C A, . TiO2/palygorskite composite nanocrystalline films prepared by surfactant templating route: synergistic effect to the photocatalytic degradation of an azo-dye in water. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2012, 211–212: 68–76
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[3]
Kibanova D, Sleiman M, Cervini-Silva J, Adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation of formaldehyde on a clay-TiO2 composite. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2012, 211–212: 233–239
CrossRef Google scholar
[4]
Zhang Y L, Wang D J, Zhang G K. Photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants by TiO2/sepiolite composites prepared at low temperature. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2011, 173(1): 1–10
CrossRef Google scholar
[5]
Lei X F, Xue X X, Yang H. Preparation and characterization of Ag-doped TiO2 nanomaterials and their photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under visible light. Applied Surface Science, 2014, 321: 396–403
CrossRef Google scholar
[6]
Akkari M, Aranda P, Mayoral A, . Sepiolite nanoplatform for the simultaneous assembly of magnetite and zinc oxide nanoparticles as photocatalyst for improving removal of organic pollutants. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2017, 340: 281–290
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[7]
Chen X, Mao S S. Titanium dioxide nanomaterials: synthesis, properties, modifications, and applications. Chemical Reviews, 2007, 107(7): 2891–2959
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[8]
Fu X X, Ren Z M, Fan C Y, . Designed fabrication of anatase mesocrystals constructed from crystallographically oriented nanocrystals for improved photocatalytic activity. RSC Advances, 2015, 5(51): 41218–41223
CrossRef Google scholar
[9]
Dai H, Xu G, Zhang S, . A ratiometric biosensor for metallothionein based on a dual heterogeneous electro-chemiluminescent response from a TiO2 mesocrystalline interface. Chemical Communications, 2015, 51(36): 7697–7700
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[10]
Ye J, Liu W, Cai J, . Nanoporous anatase TiO2 mesocrystals: additive-free synthesis, remarkable crystalline-phase stability, and improved lithium insertion behavior. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011, 133(4): 933–940
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[11]
Zhang P, Tachikawa T, Fujitsuka M, . Efficient charge separation on 3D architectures of TiO2 mesocrystals packed with a chemically exfoliated MoS2 shell in synergetic hydrogen evolution. Chemical Communications, 2015, 51(33): 7187–7190
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[12]
Li F F, Dai Y Z, Gong M, . Synthesis, characterization of magnetic-sepiolite supported with TiO2, and the photocatalytic performance over Cr(VI) and 2,4-dichlorophenol co-existed wastewater. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2015, 638: 435–442
CrossRef Google scholar
[13]
Okte A N, Sayınsoz E. Characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 supported sepiolite catalysts. Separation and Purification Technology, 2008, 62(3): 535–543
CrossRef Google scholar
[14]
Zhang G K, Xiong Q, Xu W, . Synthesis of bicrystalline TiO2 supported sepiolite fibers and their photocatalytic activity for degradation of gaseous formaldehyde. Applied Clay Science, 2014, 102: 231–237
CrossRef Google scholar
[15]
Portela R, Jansson I, Suárez S, . Natural silicate-TiO2 hybrids for photocatalytic oxidation of formaldehyde in gas phase. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2017, 310: 560–570
CrossRef Google scholar
[16]
Ugurlu M, Karaoglu M H. TiO2 supported on sepiolite: preparation, structural and thermal characterization and catalytic behaviour in photocatalytic treatment of phenol and lignin from olive mill wastewater. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2011, 166(3): 859–867
CrossRef Google scholar
[17]
Liu R R, Wang J, Zhang J J, . Honeycomb-like micro-mesoporous structure TiO2/sepiolite composite for combined chemisorption and photocatalytic elimination of formaldehyde. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2017, 248: 234–245
CrossRef Google scholar
[18]
Aranda P, Kun R, Martín-Luengo M A, . Titania–sepiolite nanocomposites prepared by a surfactant templating colloidal route. Chemistry of Materials, 2008, 20(1): 84–91
CrossRef Google scholar
[19]
Bautista F M, Campelo J M, Luna D, . Vanadium oxides supported on TiO2–sepiolite and sepiolite: preparation, structural and acid characterization and catalytic behaviour in selective oxidation of toluene. Applied Catalysis A: General, 2007, 325(2): 336–344
CrossRef Google scholar
[20]
Knapp C, Gil-Llambías F J, Gulppi-Cabra M, . Phase distribution in titania–sepiolite catalyst supports prepared by different methods. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 1997, 7(8): 1641–1645
CrossRef Google scholar
[21]
Liu Y Q, Zhang Y, Wang J. Mesocrystals as a class of multifunctional materials. CrystEngComm, 2014, 16(27): 5948–5967
CrossRef Google scholar
[22]
Cölfen H, Antonietti M. Mesocrystals: inorganic superstructures made by highly parallel crystallization and controlled alignment. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2005, 44(35): 5576–5591
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[23]
Zhou L, O’Brien P. Mesocrystals: a new class of solid materials. Small, 2008, 4(10): 1566–1574
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[24]
Ma Y, Wu X Y, Zhang G K. Core–shell Ag@Pt nanoparticles supported on sepiolite nanofibers for the catalytic reduction of nitrophenols in water: Enhanced catalytic performance and DFT study. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017, 205: 262–270
CrossRef Google scholar
[25]
Krekeler M P S, Guggenheim S. Defects in microstructure in palygorskite–sepiolite minerals: A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study. Applied Clay Science, 2008, 39(1–2): 98–105
CrossRef Google scholar
[26]
Wei S H, Ni S, Xu X X. A new approach to inducing Ti3+ in anatase TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2018, 39(3): 510–516
CrossRef Google scholar
[27]
Laskova B, Moehl T, Kavan L, . Electron kinetics in dye sensitized solar cells employing anatase with (101) and (001) facets. Electrochimica Acta, 2015, 160: 296–305
CrossRef Google scholar
[28]
Pei Z X, Zhu M S, Huang Y, . Dramatically improved energy conversion and storage efficiencies by simultaneously enhancing charge transfer and creating active sites in MnOx/TiO2 nanotube composite electrodes. Nano Energy, 2016, 20: 254–263
CrossRef Google scholar
[29]
Rasalingam S, Kibombo H S, Wu C M, . Influence of Ti–O–Si hetero-linkages in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B. Catalysis Communications, 2013, 31: 66–70
CrossRef Google scholar
[30]
Hu X L, Sun Z M, Song J Y, . Facile synthesis of nano-TiO2/stellerite composite with efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol. Advanced Powder Technology, 2018, 29(7): 1644–1654
CrossRef Google scholar
[31]
Liu R R, Ji Z J, Wang J, . Solvothermal fabrication of TiO2/sepiolite composite gel with exposed {001} and {101} facets and its enhanced photocatalytic activity. Applied Surface Science, 2018, 441: 29–39
CrossRef Google scholar
[32]
Zhang G K, Qin X. Efficient photocatalytic degradation of gaseous formaldehyde by the TiO2/tourmaline composites. Materials Research Bulletin, 2013, 48(10): 3743–3749
CrossRef Google scholar
[33]
Zhang Y Y, Gu D, Zhu L Y, . Highly ordered Fe3+/TiO2 nanotube arrays for efficient photocataltyic degradation of nitrobenzene. Applied Surface Science, 2017, 420: 896–904
CrossRef Google scholar
[34]
Jimenez-Relinque E, Llorente I, Castellote M. TiO2 cement-based materials: Understanding optical properties and electronic band structure of complex matrices. Catalysis Today, 2017, 287: 203–209
CrossRef Google scholar
[35]
Chen S F, Zhao W, Liu W, . Preparation, characterization and activity evaluation of p-n junction photocatalyst p-CaFe2O4/n-ZnO. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2009, 155(1–2): 466–473
CrossRef Google scholar
[36]
Zhang Y, Tang Z R, Fu X, . TiO2–graphene nanocomposites for gas-phase photocatalytic degradation of volatile aromatic pollutant: is TiO2–graphene truly different from other TiO2–carbon composite materials? ACS Nano, 2010, 4(12): 7303–7314
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[37]
Zhu H J, Li Z K, Yang J H. A novel composite hydrogel for adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A by visible light irradiation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2018, 334: 1679–1690
CrossRef Google scholar
[38]
Liu B K, Mu L L, Han B, . Fabrication of TiO2/Ag2O heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities under visible light irradiation. Applied Surface Science, 2017, 396: 1596–1603
CrossRef Google scholar
[39]
Zhu Q W, Zhang Y H, Lv F Z, . Cuprous oxide created on sepiolite: Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic activity in treatment of red water from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene manufacturing. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2012, 217–218: 11–18
CrossRef Google scholar
[40]
Tahir M. Photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction to fuels in continuous flow monolith photoreactor using montmorillonite dispersed Fe/TiO2 nanocatalyst. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018, 170: 242–250
CrossRef Google scholar
[41]
Wang L, Wu D P, Guo Z, . Ultra-thin TiO2 sheets with rich surface disorders for enhanced photocatalytic performance under simulated sunlight. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2018, 745: 26–32
CrossRef Google scholar
[42]
Gordon T R, Cargnello M, Paik T, . Nonaqueous synthesis of TiO2 nanocrystals using TiF4 to engineer morphology, oxygen vacancy concentration, and photocatalytic activity. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2012, 134(15): 6751–6761
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar
[43]
Ye F, Wang F, Meng C C, . Crystalline phase engineering on cocatalysts: A promising approach to enhancement on photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2018, 230: 145–153
CrossRef Google scholar
[44]
Zhang G X, Song A K, Duan Y W, . Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2/zeolite composite for abatement of pollutants. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, 2018, 255: 61–68
CrossRef Google scholar
[45]
Yang J J, Chen D M, Zhu Y, . 3D-3D porous Bi2WO6/graphene hydrogel composite with excellentsynergistic effect of adsorption-enrichment and photocatalytic degradation. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017, 205: 228–237
CrossRef Google scholar
[46]
Chen Y, Liu K. Preparation and characterization of nitrogen-doped TiO2/diatomite integrated photocatalytic pellet for the adsorption–degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using visible light. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2016, 302: 682–696
CrossRef Google scholar
[47]
Cheng W H, Li C D, Ma X, . Effect of SiO2-doping on photogenerated cathodic protection of nano-TiO2 films on 304 stainless steel. Materials & Design, 2017, 126: 155–161
CrossRef Google scholar
[48]
Zhou C H, Li G L, Zhuang X Y, . Roles of texture and acidity of acid-activated sepiolite catalysts in gas-phase catalytic dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. Molecular Catalysis, 2017, 434: 219–231
CrossRef Google scholar
[49]
Kelly M T, Chun J K M, Bocarsly A B. General bronsted acid behavior of porous silicon: a mechanistic evaluation of proton-gated quenching of photoemission from oxide-coated porous silicon. Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1997, 101(14): 2702–2708
CrossRef Google scholar
[50]
Chen J, Guan M, Cai W, . The dominant {001} facet-dependent enhanced visible-light photoactivity of ultrathin BiOBr nanosheets. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2014, 16(38): 20909–20914
CrossRef Pubmed Google scholar

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Key Science and Technology Projects Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0700902).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2018 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
AI Summary AI Mindmap
PDF(668 KB)

781

Accesses

16

Citations

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/