Integrated Adsorption–Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants by Carbon Xerogel/Titania Composites

Abstract

Recent studies on the removal of pollutants via adsorption include the use of carbon-based adsorbents, due to their high porosity and large surface area; however, such materials lack photoactive properties. This study evaluates the synergistic effect of integrated mesoporous carbon xerogel (derived from resorcinol formaldehyde) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) for combined adsorption and photodegradation application. The complex formed between carbon xerogel and TiO2 phase was investigated through FTIR, proving the presence of a Ti-O–C chemical linkage. The physicochemical properties of the synthesised adsorbent–photocatalyst were probed using FESEM, BET analysis and UV–Vis analysis. The kinetics, equilibrium adsorption, effect of pH, and effect of adsorbent dosage were investigated. The expansion of the absorbance range to the visible range was verified, and the corresponding band gap evaluated. These properties enabled a visible light response when the system was exposed to visible light post adsorption. Hence, an assistive adsorption–photodegradation phenomenon was successfully executed. The adsorption performance exhibited 85% dye degradation which improved to 99% following photodegradation. Further experiments showed the reduction of microorganisms under visible light, where no microbial colonies were observed after treatment, indicating the potential application of these composite materials.