Application of PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub> Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Contaminants from Aqueous Solution

oleh: Youn-Jun Lee, Hae Su Lee, Chang-Gu Lee, Seong-Jik Park, Jechan Lee, Seungho Jung, Gwy-Am Shin

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-09-01

Deskripsi

Polyaniline (PANI) is a promising conducting polymer for surface modification of TiO<sub>2</sub> to achieve extended photoresponse to visible light and increased photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, we report the synthesis of a PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub> composite with different weight ratios of PANI, which was subsequently employed for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), bisphenol A (BPA), and bacteriophage MS2 under visible-light irradiation. The functional groups, morphology, and light response of the composite were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopy, respectively. The PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub> composite containing 4% by weight ratio of PANI was most suitable for MB degradation, and this photocatalyst was very stable even after repeated use (four cycles). The degradation of BPA and bacteriophage MS2 by PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub> composite reached 80% in 360 min and 96.2% in 120 min, respectively, under visible-light irradiation. Therefore, the PANI/TiO<sub>2</sub> composite with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic efficiency and stability can be widely used for the degradation of water contaminants.