Multi-usable titanium dioxide and poly(vinylidene fluoride) composite foam photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants

Multi-usable photocatalyst foam was prepared by coagulating poly(vinylidene fluoride)-titanium dioxide (PVDFTiO2) composite solution with water-spray. X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible, infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectra were confirmed the inclusion of TiO2 in PVDF-TiO2 foam (PTF). PVDF did not affected the band gap and characteristic light absorption of TiO2. Whereas, TiO2 decreased the crystallinity of PVDF matrix. As per thermogravimetric analysis, coagulation of 8 ml composite solution containing 0.3 g of PVDF and 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg of TiO2 resulted the PTF with 2.75, 13.77, 17.56, and 21.93 wt% TiO2, respectively. Due to phase separation, TiO2 were coated on the surface of PTF. Methyl orange (MO, 10 mu M) was used as a model pollutant. PTF with 0-13.77 wt% TiO2 showed significant MO adsorption under dark and ultraviolet A light. Adsorption was almost nullified in case of PTF with 17.56, and 21.93 wt% TiO2, and the photooxidation was prevailed. The photocatalytic efficiency of PTF with 17 wt% TiO2 was stable during 50 reuse cycles. Physiochemical characterization of multi-used PTF confirmed that TiO2 NPs were not leached out during reuse. Aforementioned findings suggest that PTF can be a potential reusable photocatalyst for practical water decontamination process.