Mixed Metal Oxide W-TiO₂ Nanopowder for Environmental Process: Synergy of Adsorption and Photocatalysis

A mixed metal oxide W-TiO₂ nanopowder photocatalyst was prepared by using the sol-gel method with a broad range of elemental compositions x = C_W/(C_W + C_Ti), including TiO₂ and WO₃. The material was structurally characterized and evaluated in adsorption and photocatalytic processes by testing its removal capacity of a representative pollutant methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solutions and under UV-A and sunlight illuminations. The nanopowders appeared to be more effective adsorbents than pure TiO₂ and WO₃ materials, showing a maximum at 15 mol% W, which was set as the tungsten solubility limit in anatase titania. At the same time, the photocatalytic decomposition of MB peaked at 2 mol% W. The examination of different compositions showed that the most effective MB removal took place at 15 mol% W, which was attributed to the combined action of adsorption and heterogeneous photocatalysis. Moreover, MB decomposition under sunlight was stronger than under UV-A, suggesting photocatalyst activation by visible light. The pollutant removal efficiency of the material with 15 mol% W was enhanced by a factor of ~10 compared to pure TiO₂ at the beginning of the process, which shows its high potential for use in depollution processes in emergency cases of a great pollutant leak. As a result, a W_x=0.15-TiO₂ catalyst could be of high interest for wastewater purification in industrial plants.