Sol–gel synthesis of TiO2 on Co3O4-coated sporopollenin exine microcapsules (SECs) and photocatalytic performance of new semiconductor heterojunction material

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 29; no. 52; pp. 78620 - 78636
• Main Authors: Yılmaz, Hatice Çağlar, Atalay, Funda Ersoy, Kaya, Harun, Erdemoğlu, Sema
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Absorption spectroscopy; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; CI Reactive Black 5; Coatings; Cobalt oxides; Dyes; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Heterojunctions; Irradiation; Light; Microcapsules; Morphology; Particle size distribution; Photocatalysis; Pollutants; Raman spectroscopy; Research Article; Scanning electron microscopy; Size distribution; Sol-gel processes; Substrates; Titanium dioxide; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zeta potential; Cobalt oxide; Sporopollenin exine microcapsules; Cobalt doped titanium oxide; Reactive Black 5; Titanium oxide; Persistent organic pollutants; Wastewater; Hetero-junction materials
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21357-w

In this study, a new approach was developed to prepare mesoporous hybrid TiO 2 /Co 3 O 4 coated on Juglans sporopollenin exine microcapsules (SECs). TiO 2 was synthesized on Co 3 O 4 -coated SECs used as substrate, by sol–gel method. The obtained semiconductor/semiconductor hetero-junction hybrid materials were characterized with X-ray diffractometry (XRD), UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution, specific surface area, and zeta potential measurements. Photocatalytic performances of hybrid materials were tested for Reactive Black 5 dye under both UV and visible light. Equilibrium pH of the solution containing 10 mg/L Reactive Black 5 dye and 0.1% wt/v TiO 2 /Co 3 O 4 was around 4.7. After irradiation in the solar box, more than 98% of the Reactive Black 5 was photocatalytically degraded within 60 min.