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Updated: Jan 7, 2026
The Effect of Interfacial Chemical Bonding in TiO2-SiO2 Composites on Their Photocatalytic NOx Abatement Performance
Published on: July 4, 2017
Harnessing TiO2-STA nano-interfaces with improved electrical conductivity for the efficient photocatalytic removal of
M Praveen Daniel1, Paskalis Sahaya Murphin Kumar2, Mathivanan Durai3
1Department of Chemistry, Francis Xavier Engineering College (Autonomous), Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, 627002, India.
Abstract:
The annealing process was used to create TiO2-Silicotungstic acid (TiO2-STA) nanocomposites. Ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the resultant materials. The FTIR spectrum verified the production of new chemical bonds between TiO2 and STA, however the UV-visible spectrum showed a significant interaction between them. The TiO2-STA nanocomposites' crystallite size was reduced, according to XRD measurements. According to calculations made using the Debye-Scherrer equation and subsequently confirmed by the Williamson-Hall technique, the crystallite size falls between 120 and 240 nm. The dopants were evenly dispersed over the surface, and SEM examination revealed a reduction in particle size. Methylene blue dye was used as a model pollutant to assess the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites. According to the findings, the nanocomposites had outstanding catalytic activity, reaching a degradation efficiency of up to 99.87%. Additionally, the nanocomposite materials' temperature-dependent AC and DC conductivities were examined. TiO2 and TiO2-STA nanocomposite's notable improvement in conductivity points to its possible use in electrical devices.
