A Sustainable Combustion Process for Green Synthesis of TiO <sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles: Applications in Photocatalytic Degradation and Electrochemical Sensing for Environmental Remediation
Avinash Basavaraja, Chunchanakuppe R. Ravikumar, Afaq Ahmad Khan, Syed Khasim, Bhoomika Vasudeva, Sadanand Sharma, M.S. Santosh
Abstract
Abstract Herein, a sustainable approach to combustion has been presented, utilizing Aloe Vera latex as a reducing agent in synthesizing titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles. The phase and composition of TiO 2 have been confirmed using X‐ray diffraction, while the band gap has been determined as 3.17 eV using the Kubelka‐Monk plot. The photocatalytic potential of the TiO 2 has been explored by assessing their effectiveness in degrading AR‐88 dye, demonstrating significant activity at 500 nm. Remarkably, in a span of 120 min of UV radiation, AR‐88 dye could reach an impressive photodegradation rate of 98.6 %, rendering the dye nearly colorless. TiO 2 NPs have also been investigated as an electrode material in sensing paracetamol and D‐glucose by coating them onto a carbon paste electrode and immersing them in a 1 M KOH solution. The cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal that the TiO 2 NPs possess excellent electrochemical characteristics, with a calculated proton diffusion coefficient of 5.651×10 −4 cm 2 s −1 . These findings underscore the potential of TiO 2 as a highly desirable electrode material with remarkable electrochemical properties. This research opens new avenues for utilizing TiO 2 NPs in various electrochemical applications, particularly in the detection of pharmaceutically important compounds, highlighting its versatility.