Unlocking the power of amorphous TiO2-decorated biocarbon composite: Enhanced photocatalytic performance for crystal violet dye degradation
Ana T. S. C. Brandão, Sabrina State, Renata Costa, Laura‐Bianca Enache, Geanina Mihai, José Antonio Vázquez, Jesús Valcárcel, Liana Anicăi, Marius Enăchescu, Carlos M. Pereira
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the morphological and photocatalytic properties of electrochemically synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO₂), both in its amorphous (non-calcined) and crystalline (calcinated) forms and its composite with biomass-derived carbon (TiO₂@C). The TiO₂ materials were synthesized using a deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based electrochemical method, and their properties were compared with commercial TiO₂ nano-powder (TiO₂_NP). Characterization techniques such as BET, SEM/EDX, XRD, Raman, ATR-FTIR, and XPS were employed to elucidate the structural, textural, and surface chemical properties of the materials. The amorphous TiO₂ (TiO₂@DES) exhibited significantly higher surface area and pore volume compared to commercial TiO₂, while the calcined TiO₂ (TiO₂@DES_400) displayed enhanced crystallinity with an anatase structure. The TiO₂@C composite was prepared via an in-situ decoration of biomass-derived carbon during the TiO₂ electrochemical synthesis. This resulted in a material with a high specific surface area (2214 m 2 g −1 ) and porous structure. This composite demonstrated superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of crystal violet dye under both UV and visible light irradiation, achieving degradation efficiencies of ~98 % after 5 h. The TiO₂@C composite was further applied to degrade wastewater from leather dye processing, demonstrating its efficacy in real-world applications. These results underscore the potential of the TiO₂@C composite as a sustainable and high-performance photocatalyst for environmental remediation, particularly in wastewater treatment. • TiO 2 @C exhibits superior photocatalytic efficiency under UV/Vis light. • TiO 2 @C offers a high surface area, boosting photocatalysis. • Calcination changes TiO 2 from amorphous to crystalline anatase, confirmed by XRD. • TiO 2 @C enhances reactive oxygen species and dye degradation.