Investigation of Photocatalytic Properties of TiO2 and TiO2-4wt.%CdO Nanoparticles for Degradation of Methylene Blue

Water pollution is one of the big problems of human societies, and the need to find new ways to remove these pollutants has been given much attention in recent years. One of the methods is the use of photocatalysts. In this research, TiO2 and TiO2-CdO nanoparticles were prepared by a sol-gel method as nano photocatalysts. The produced samples have been used to degrade methylene blue under UV light. To characterize the prepared samples, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), X-ray Energy Diffraction Spectroscopy (EDS), and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) were used. Microstructural results revealed nanoparticles with dimensions of 18 to 32 nm. XRD results showed that the main phase formed was the anatase. TiO2-4 wt.% CdO nanocomposite showed more photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO2. Also, the effect of pH, irradiation time, and amount of powder on photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results showed that at pH=9, time of 75 min, and using 0.02 g TiO2-4 wt.% CdO photocatalyst, the maximum photocatalytic activity of about 92 % was obtained.