ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Effective photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye over nanosized Ag/AgBr-modified TiO2 loaded on zeolite

Mohsen Padervand, Mahboubeh Tasviri, and Mohammad Reza Gholami

Department of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave., P.O. Box: 11365-9516, Tehran, Iran

E-mail: gholami@sharif.edu

Abstract: Zeolite-based photocatalysts were prepared by the sol-gel and deposition methods. The photocatalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The activity of the prepared photocatalysts was evaluated by the UV-induced degradation of acid blue 92, a textile dye in common use. The effect of various parameters, such as catalyst concentration, initial dye concentration, thiosulphate concentration and pH, on the rate and efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 92 was investigated. The results showed that each parameter influenced the degradation rate and efficiency in a particular way. It was also found that, under optimised conditions, Ag/AgBr/TiO2/zeolite exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance. A comparison of catalytic activity when exposed to visible light under the same conditions showed that the photocatalysts containing AgBr had the highest activity.

Keywords: zeolite – TiO2 – sol-gel method – photocatalytic degradation – acid blue 92

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-011-0013-6

Chemical Papers 65 (3) 280–288 (2011)