Anticorrosion Coated Stainless Steel as Durable Support for C-N-TiO₂ Photo Catalyst Layer

The development of durable photocatalytic supports resistant in harsh environment has become challenging in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) focusing on water and wastewater remediation. In this study, stainless steel (SS), SS/Ti (N,O) and SS/Cr-N/Cr (N,O) anticorrosion layers on SS meshes were dip-coated with sol gel synthesised C-N-TiO₂ photo catalysts pyrolysed at 350 °C for 105 min, using a heating rate of 50 °C/min under N₂ gas. The supported C-N-TiO₂ films were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that C-N-TiO₂ was successfully deposited on anticorrosion coated SS supports and had different morphologies. The amorphous C and TiO₂ were predominant in C-N-TiO₂ over anatase and rutile phases on the surface of SS and anticorrosion supports. The C-N-TiO₂ coated films showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for the decolouration of O.II dye under both solar and UV radiation. The fabricated C-N-TiO₂ films showed significant antibacterial activities in the dark as well as in visible light. Herein, we demonstrate that SS/Ti(N,O) and SS/Cr-N/Cr(N,O) anticorrosion coatings are adequate photocatalytic and corrosion resistant supports. The C-N-TiO₂ photo catalytic coatings can be used for water and wastewater decontamination of pollutants and microbes.