Effect of silica addition on the photocatalytic activity of MO2@SiO2 (M=Ti, Zr, Sn, Ce) nanocomposites prepared by sol-gel

Abstract

Photocatalysis uses wide band gap ceramic semiconductors (anatase, zirconia, ceria, cassiterite…) that have the ability to promote electron-hole pairs by UV light irradiation producing both reducing and oxidants ions and radicals. In general, oxidizing species are more efficient, using photocatalysis as an advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the biodegradation of organic substances refractory to conventional treatments, such as azo dyes, or atmospheric pollutants as NOx. In this communication, the photocatalytic activity of xSiO2@(1-x)MO2 (M = TiO2, ZrO2, SnO2, CeO2, x = 0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5) composites on the Orange II azo dye in solution, as well as on NOx in air, was analysed. The composites were obtained by Sol-Gel methods based on the hydrolysis-condensation of alcoholic solutions of silicon tetraethoxide (TEOS) and titanium n-butoxide, zirconium iso-propoxide, SnCl2.2H2O and Ce(NO3)3.6H2O as precursors of MO2 oxides. The resulting xerogels were studied by XRD, bandgap measurements from UV-Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photocatalytic activity against Orange II in dissolution and NOx in air (efficiency in nitrate abatement), and SEM-EDX microstructural analysis. In the case of non-stabilized samples, charring samples at 300 °C/1 h and fired samples at 500 °C/1 h were also studied. The cassiterite-silica composite stands out for its photocatalytic activity against Orange II in solution and the cerianite-silica composite against NOx in air. Silica increases the photocatalytic activity on NOx in zirconia, tin oxide and ceria composites and also on Orange II in zirconia and tin oxide. Graphical Abstract