Preparation and characterization of phosphate-modified mesoporous TiO2 incorporated in a silica matrix and their photocatalytic properties in the photodegradation of Congo red

This study describes the development of mesostructured TiO 2 photocatalysts modified with PO 4 3- to improve its specific surface area and reduce the recombination rate of the electron—hole pairs. The mesoporous photocatalyst was successfully incorporated into a high specific surface area silica matrix by the hydrolysis reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Pluronic 123 and phosphoric acid were used as the directing agent for the structure of the mesoporous TiO 2 and as a source of phosphorus, respectively. TiO 2 , P/TiO 2 , TiO 2 -SiO 2 and P/TiO 2 -SiO 2 materials were characterized by BET, XRD, TEM-EDS, FTIR and UV-vis DRS measurements. The photoactivity of TiO 2 -SiO 2 nanocomposites containing 15 wt.% photocatalyst/silica was evaluated in the degradation reaction of anionic dyes with UV radiation. The proposed nanomaterials showed high potential for applications in the remediation of wastewater, being able to reuse in several cycles of reaction, maintaining its photoactivity and stability. The separation and recovery time of the material is reduced between cycles since no centrifugation or filtration processes are required after the photooxidation reaction.