Efficient photocatalytic reactors via 3D printing: SLA fabrication and TiO2 hybrid materials

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) was evaluated as a promising technology for constructing photocatalytic reactors due to its inherent ability to produce complex geometries with high precision and customization. In this work, a 3D structure was designed to achieve a good light distribution inside a cylindrical batch reactor and printed using the stereolithography (SLA) technique. A hybrid material composed of a commercial photoreactive resin (Formlabs Clear V4) and the benchmark photocatalyst TiO₂ P25 Evonik (1 wt%) was prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and rheological and mechanical methods. To evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the materials, several experiments on the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh_B) were carried out using the 3D printed structure. Its performance was assessed by monitoring the concentration at specific times. Overall, the results demonstrate a simple, cost-effective, and fast technique to immobilize catalysts used in photocatalytic applications.