Controlled synthesis and wastewater treatment of Ag2O/TiO2 modified chitosan-based photocatalytic film

Abstract

A novel Ag₂O/TiO₂-modified chitosan-based photocatalytic film with high adsorption and photocatalytic activity was synthesized under simulated solar irradiation, based upon the coupling of the synergistic catalytic technique of nano Ag₂O/TiO₂ and membrane separation. XRD, XPS, FESEM, and TEM characterization results illustrated that the Ag₂O nanoparticles with a small size of 3–5 nm deposited on the surface of TiO₂. Subsequently, Ag₂O–TiO₂ nanoheterojunctions, as whole graft-structures, were coated on a chitosan-based polypropylene film. The as-synthesized photocatalytic film with a wide visible-light adsorption band and lower band gap of 2.4 eV enhanced the degradation ability for both ampicillin and methyl orange owing to the synergistic effect of AgO₂/TiO₂ nanoheterojunctions. Moreover, the photocatalytic film displayed excellent recycling properties for the degradation of methyl orange by being reused for 5 times without losing its photocatalytic activity.