PREPARATION ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF TRYMETHYLGLYSINE DOPED POLYPYRROLE / CHLOROPRENE RUBBER NANOCOMPOSITE

anatase phase titanium dioxide; niobium oxide; doped titanium dioxide; impregnation method; photocatalytic

Abstract

Abstract

This paper describes the synthesis procedure and photocatalytic activity of an active Niobium Pentoxide (Nb₂O₅) doped anatase phase Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalyst. The catalysts were prepared by impregnating ammonium niobate oxalate (V) hydrate ethanolic solutions (1-5%) with oxalic-acid-precipitated TiO₂. XRD analysis of all synthesized TiO₂ and Nb₂O₅ – doped TiO₂ construct an anatase phase, however with reduced intensity. Evidently, a linear expansion on cell parameters and extreme reduction in crystallite size was observed as the Nb₂O₅ loading percentage increases. All prepared catalysts exhibit similar irregular to nearly spherical shape morphology with the size accumulated in the range of 10 – 70 nm using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. The effect of doping Nb₂O₅ became more prominent when it’s assembled different shapes of hysteresis loops as displayed in N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. Upon the addition of Nb₂O₅, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area showed incredible enhancement while pore size diameter as determined using Barrett, Joyner, and Halenda (BJH) method shifted to smaller pore size. The photocatalytic efficiency of synthesized Nb₂O₅ – doped TiO₂ was evaluated and results exhibited an appreciable improvement in comparison to the undoped TiO₂. On the whole, 3% Nb₂O₅ doped TiO₂ offered the highest activity with an optimum of 13.34 mg methyl orange are degraded per gram of UV illuminated photocatalyst.  Kinetically, the rate of Methyl Orange (MO) photocatalytic degradation by Nb₂O₅ doped TiO₂ followed first order.

Keywords: anatase phase titanium dioxide; niobium oxide; doped titanium dioxide; impregnation method; photocatalytic