A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives

Abstract Despite the widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in photocatalytic applications, its inherent limitations, such as low efficiency under visible light and rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs, hinder its effectiveness in environmental remediation. This study presents a comparative...

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Main Authors: I. Abdelfattah, A. M. El-Shamy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77752-5
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author I. Abdelfattah
A. M. El-Shamy
author_facet I. Abdelfattah
A. M. El-Shamy
author_sort I. Abdelfattah
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Despite the widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in photocatalytic applications, its inherent limitations, such as low efficiency under visible light and rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs, hinder its effectiveness in environmental remediation. This study presents a comparative investigation of TiO2-based composites, including TiO2/ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O3, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO, aiming to assess their potential for enhancing photocatalytic applications. Photocatalysis holds promise in environmental remediation, water purification, and energy conversion, with TiO2 being a prominent photocatalyst. To improve efficiency and broaden applicability, various metal oxide composites have been explored. Composites were synthesized and characterized using techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, and zeta potential analysis to evaluate their structural and morphological properties. Photocatalytic performance was assessed by degrading herbicide Imazapyr under UV illumination. Results revealed that, the photo-activity of all prepared composites were more effective than the photo-activity of commercial hombikat UV-100. The photonic-efficiency is arranged according to the order TiO2/CuO > TiO2/SnO > TiO2/ZnO > TiO2/Ta2O3 > TiO2/ZrO2 > TiO2/Fe2O3 > Hombikat TiO2-UV100. All composites exhibited superior performance, attributed to enhanced light absorption and charge separation. The study underscores the potential of these composites for environmental remediation and energy conservation, offering valuable insights for the development of advanced photocatalysts.
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spelling doaj-art-d3d4d911aa6d46b788e0f17ee5a4cad52024-11-10T12:16:43ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114112610.1038/s41598-024-77752-5A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additivesI. Abdelfattah0A. M. El-Shamy1Water Pollution Research Department, National Research CentrePhysical Chemistry Department, Electrochemistry and Corrosion Lab, National Research CentreAbstract Despite the widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in photocatalytic applications, its inherent limitations, such as low efficiency under visible light and rapid recombination of electron-hole pairs, hinder its effectiveness in environmental remediation. This study presents a comparative investigation of TiO2-based composites, including TiO2/ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O3, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO, aiming to assess their potential for enhancing photocatalytic applications. Photocatalysis holds promise in environmental remediation, water purification, and energy conversion, with TiO2 being a prominent photocatalyst. To improve efficiency and broaden applicability, various metal oxide composites have been explored. Composites were synthesized and characterized using techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, and zeta potential analysis to evaluate their structural and morphological properties. Photocatalytic performance was assessed by degrading herbicide Imazapyr under UV illumination. Results revealed that, the photo-activity of all prepared composites were more effective than the photo-activity of commercial hombikat UV-100. The photonic-efficiency is arranged according to the order TiO2/CuO > TiO2/SnO > TiO2/ZnO > TiO2/Ta2O3 > TiO2/ZrO2 > TiO2/Fe2O3 > Hombikat TiO2-UV100. All composites exhibited superior performance, attributed to enhanced light absorption and charge separation. The study underscores the potential of these composites for environmental remediation and energy conservation, offering valuable insights for the development of advanced photocatalysts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77752-5PhotocatalysisMetal oxide compositesImazapyrEnvironmental remediationCharge separationEnergy conservation
spellingShingle I. Abdelfattah
A. M. El-Shamy
A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
Scientific Reports
Photocatalysis
Metal oxide composites
Imazapyr
Environmental remediation
Charge separation
Energy conservation
title A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
title_full A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
title_fullStr A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
title_full_unstemmed A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
title_short A comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based composites with ZrO2, ZnO, Ta2O5, SnO, Fe2O3, and CuO additives
title_sort comparative study for optimizing photocatalytic activity of tio2 based composites with zro2 zno ta2o5 sno fe2o3 and cuo additives
topic Photocatalysis
Metal oxide composites
Imazapyr
Environmental remediation
Charge separation
Energy conservation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-77752-5
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