Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Degussa P25/Chitosan Composites for the Photocatalytic Removal of Sertraline and Acid Red 18 from Water

Abstract

Abstract Degussa P25 titanium dioxide/chitosan composites (P25/CS) were prepared using three different methods and two different chitosan materials. The obtained materials were characterized by diffuse reflectance UV–Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. It was observed for all prepared materials that the chitosan surface is homogeneously covered by Degussa P25, the particles are evenly dispersed on the whole chitosan matrix and do not form agglomerates. The performance of P25/CS composites were tested in water treatment by the photocatalytic reaction of sertraline and Acid Red 18. The obtained results show that the application of prepared composites is effective in the reaction of decomposition of model organic impurities in water. Moreover, chitosan presence in the photocatalytic materials considerably facilitates the separation of catalyst from the reaction mixture, which is a great advantage compared to pure Degussa P25. The preparation method did not show a major effect on the photocatalytic activity. The method using glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent is the simplest one; thus, it is recommended for Degussa P25/chitosan nanocomposites preparation. These nanocomposites can be successfully applied in water purification by photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Graphic Abstract