Photocatalytic Degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol by TiO₂ Intercalated Talc Nanocomposite

Abstract

Novel nanocomposites have been prepared by intercalating TiO 2 nanoparticles into talc. The nanocomposites have been verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) from the appearance of a characteristic diffraction peak of TiO 2 . Thermal behavior of the prepared samples is examined by thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), which have shown no TiO 2 particles on the surface of the talc. The TiO 2 particles are found in the layers of talc by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, which have shown the increase of specific surface areas and total pore volumes and the decline of average pore diameters. As the strong adsorption ability of talc can intensify the power of photon absorption and capture-recombination carriers, more than 99.5% of 2,4-dichlorophenol can be degraded in 1 h by the nanocomposite under an ultraviolet lamp in neutral solution and room temperature after reaching adsorption equilibrium, and the result of adsorbance is in accord with the first-order kinetic. The degradation rate was maintained at about 99% after 20 times. Therefore, the prepared talc/TiO 2 nanocomposite is an efficient, stable, and recyclable material for wastewater treatment.