Photocatalytic Properties of a Novel Keratin char-TiO<sub>2</sub> Composite Films Made through the Calcination of Wool Keratin Coatings Containing TiO<sub>2</sub> Precursors
In this study, the photocatalytic properties of novel keratin char-TiO<sub>2</sub> composite films, made through the calcination of wool keratin coatings containing TiO<sub>2</sub> precursors at 400 °C, were investigated for the photodegradation of organic contaminants under...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/e4292cec3ec3470aa26c6c1c53f45917 |
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| Sumario: | In this study, the photocatalytic properties of novel keratin char-TiO<sub>2</sub> composite films, made through the calcination of wool keratin coatings containing TiO<sub>2</sub> precursors at 400 °C, were investigated for the photodegradation of organic contaminants under visible light irradiation. Its structural characteristics and photocatalytic performance were systematically examined. It was shown that a self-cleaning hydrophobic keratin char-TiO<sub>2</sub> composite film containing meso- and micro-pores was formed after the keratin—TiO<sub>2</sub> precursors coating was calcined. In comparison with calcinated TiO<sub>2</sub> films, the keratin char-TiO<sub>2</sub> composite films doped with the elements of C, N, and S from keratins resulted in decreased crystallinity and a larger water contact angle. The bandgap of the char-TiO<sub>2</sub> composite films increased slightly from 3.26 to 3.32 eV, and its separation of photogenerated charge carriers was inhibited to a certain degree. However, it exhibited higher photodegradation efficiency to methyl blue (MB) effluents than the pure calcinated TiO<sub>2</sub> films. This was mainly because of its special porous structure, large water contact angle, and high adsorption energy towards organic pollutants, confirmed by the density functional theory calculations. The main active species were <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> radicals in the MB photodegradation process. |
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