Comparative Reactivity of Triphenylmethane, Anthraquinone and Nitro Dyes towards Degradation using Titania Photocatalyst
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Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Chemical Institute
Abstract
Titania (TiO2) photodegradation of three dyes in aqueous media: picric acid (PA), alizarin red-S (ARS), and crystal violet (CV) showed a
practical wastewater remediation technique in this work. The process unfolded in a photoreactor equipped with a 20 W UV-lamp, aerators,
and heating elements. Spectroscopic characterization of TiO2 and dyes was achieved using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray
diffraction (XRD) and UV-visible methods. Simulated dye wastewater were treated with TiO2, and photodegradation rates were monitored
by UV-Visible Spectrophotometry. Effect of pH, temperature, catalyst concentration, and dye concentration on the degradation rates was
determined. Comparative analysis of dye reactivities was conducted utilizing desirability response derived from historical data within
the framework of Response Surface Methodology. FTIR spectra of TiO2 post-degradation revealed the adsorption of dye chromophores,
Triphenyl methane, Anthraquinone and Nitro from CV, ARS and PA respectively. XRD and UV-vis spectra revealed the rutile phase of
TiO2 with a bandgap of 2.852 eV. Maximum percent degradation followed the order: CV > ARS > PA, reaching 72.1%, 59.8%, and 44.1%,
respectively. This study accentuates the preference for lower temperatures, with CV emerging as the most reactive to TiO2, and predicts the
degradation efficiency of the photocatalyst for various compositions of dye wastewater.