Surface modified nanostructured-TiO2 thin films for removal of Congo red

Photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin and tetracycline by template synthesized nano-structured Ce3+@TiO2 thin film catalyst

Contamination of the aquatic environment with pharmaceutical compounds is a serious environmental concern. The present investigation aims to utilize the Ce³⁺/TiO₂ thin film catalyst to remove of potential antibiotics (amoxicillin and tetracycline) using the less harmful UV-A radiations. Reduced cerium ion-doped TiO₂ is obtained by a simple one-step facile template method using polyethylene glycol as the templating agent. The synthesized catalysts Ce³⁺@TiO₂ (non-template) and Ce³⁺@TiO₂(T) (template) were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The XPS reaffirms the reduced Ce³⁺ dispersed within the titania network, and the AFM showed the surface roughness of the thin films. Detailed physicochemical analyses were conducted to deduce the degradation mechanism, and repeated use of the thin film photocatalyst showed enhanced stability. Significant mineralization of the antibiotics indicates the potential applicability of the photocatalytic catalyst. Furthermore, the presence of Ce³⁺ significantly restricted the recombination of electron/hole pairs in the photo-excited TiO₂ semiconductor and showed enhanced photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotics proceeded predominantly through the •OH.

New insights in photocatalytic removal of Alizarin Yellow using reduced Ce3+/TiO2 catalyst

The present communication aims to obtain a novel Ce³⁺/TiO₂ thin film in a single step facile method using the in situ template process. The material was characterized by the XRD (X-ray diffraction), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscope), and AFM (atomic force microscope) analyses. The thin film catalyst was intended to introduce in the degradation of one of potential dye Alizarin Yellow from aqueous solutions using the UV-A radiations. The mechanisms of degradation along with the physicochemical parametric studies were conducted extensively. The mineralization of pollutant and the replicate use of catalysts further enhance the applicability of present communication. Additionally, the real matrix treatment was conducted to simulate the treatment process.