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Degradation of organic dyes in the presence of activated titanium-based nanoparticles

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Abstract

There has been a high discharge of non-biodegradable dyes into natural streams and water bodies, thus, contaminating them. Many of these dyes are synthesized by carcinogens and can be water soluble, therefore, being more problematic to remove. One effective way to remove them from our water sources is by a photocatalytic degradation process using semiconductor nanoparticles. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a semiconductor material with intrinsic optical and electronic properties that promote its use in several applications, including catalytic processes and organic synthesis. The photocatalytic capacity of TiO2 nanostructures is based on the generation of electron–hole pairs due to the Ultraviolet (UV) excitation of TiO2. Photodegradation studies were evaluated in the presence of organic dyes like Methylene Blue (MB) and Acid Red 14 (AR14) at different concentrations of Degussa P-25 TiO2 nanoparticles (25 and 50 ppm). After the dyes were exposed to UV irradiation at specific time intervals, it was found that 25 ppm TiO2 degraded AR14 faster and more efficiently, which was at 88%. On the other hand, 50 ppm TiO2 degraded MB faster, at 100%. Based on the obtained results, TiO2 proved to be an effective photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dyes.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Institutional funds of Dr. Sonia J. Bailón-Ruiz at the UPRP. We carried out this research in the Laboratory of Investigation in Nanotechnology and Characterization (LINC). Thanks to Dr. Tessie H. Cruz-Rivera (Rector of the UPRP), Dr. Milton Rivera-Ramos (Department Chair of Chemistry and Physics, UPRP), and Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PR-LSAMP) for supporting us in the process. TEM work was performed at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, which is supported by the National Science Foundation Cooperative Agreement No. DMR-1644779* and the State of Florida.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, Ponce, PR, 00716, USA

    Alondra A. Lugo-Ruiz & María J. Paz-Ruiz

  2. Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, Ponce, PR, 00716, USA

    Sonia J. Bailón-Ruiz

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  1. Alondra A. Lugo-Ruiz
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  2. María J. Paz-Ruiz
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  3. Sonia J. Bailón-Ruiz
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Correspondence to Sonia J. Bailón-Ruiz.

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Lugo-Ruiz, A.A., Paz-Ruiz, M.J. & Bailón-Ruiz, S.J. Degradation of organic dyes in the presence of activated titanium-based nanoparticles. MRS Advances 7, 289–294 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-021-00144-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-021-00144-8

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