Photocatalytic Performance of Zr-Modified TS-1 Zeolites: Structural, Textural and Kinetic Studies

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Titanium silicalite-1 (TS-1) zeolite is a key material in oxidation catalysis.
• Modifying TS-1 with other elements can tune its properties for specific applications.
• Investigating zirconium (Zr) incorporation in TS-1 aims to enhance its photocatalytic efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize zirconium-modified TS-1 (TS-1/xZr) zeolites.
• To evaluate the impact of Zr incorporation on structural, textural, and photocatalytic properties.
• To assess the photocatalytic degradation of various dyes using the synthesized materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of TS-1 and TS-1/xZr samples.
• Characterization using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, EDXRF, SEM/EDS, and FTIR.
• Photocatalytic degradation tests under white light irradiation with Crystal Violet (CV), Methylene Blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB), and Methyl Orange (MO).
• Kinetic analysis using pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) models.

Main Results:

• Successful incorporation of Zr into the TS-1 framework was confirmed.
• Zr-modified samples, especially TS-1/10Zr, exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dyes.
• Dye degradation predominantly followed pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetics.
• The catalysts demonstrated good stability and reusability over multiple cycles.

Conclusions:

• Zirconium incorporation significantly improves the photocatalytic performance of TS-1 zeolite.
• The enhanced activity is linked to synergistic electronic effects between Ti and Zr, improving charge separation and light absorption.
• TS-1/10Zr is a promising material for efficient and stable photocatalytic dye degradation.