Thioxanthone Functionalized NanoTiO₂ Composites as Photocatalyst for Degradation of Organic Dyes

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalytic technology has the advantages of high catalytic activity, high chemical stability, nontoxicity, and low cost. Therefore, it finds widespread applications in the degradation of organic pollutants in water, antibacterial, environmental purification, and other fields. In this study, we have obtained a photocatalyst by modifying nanoTiO₂ with the photosensitizer thioxanthone. The light-harvesting units of thioxanthone and nanoTiO₂ can work synergistically to capture light energy. As a heterogeneous photocatalytic material, it can efficiently degrade organic dyes such as Rhodamine B, methyl blue and methyl orange. Specifically, the degradation rate of 0.1 mmol/L Rhodamine B can reach 97% after 35 min of irradiation, and methyl blue and methyl orange can also reach 98 and 56%, respectively.