Impact of TiO2 and CaCO3 nanoparticles and their incorporation in polysulfone composite membrane on photocatalytic degradation of RB 5

Abstract

Contamination of water resources by dyes is a potential peril to humans and the ecosystem. Photocatalytic decomposition is one of the efficient ways to remove hazardous dyes present in water. CaCO<inf>3</inf> and TiO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles have been synthesized from calcium chloride and sodium carbonate using a precipitation method and sol-gel technique, respectively. Synthesized CaCO<inf>3</inf> and TiO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The experimental results showed that the synthesized CaCO<inf>3</inf> nanoparticles were of calcite and the TiO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles of anatase. Polysulfone (PSF) composite membranes embedded with CaCO<inf>3</inf> and TiO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles were prepared systematically. These synthesized nanoparticles and their embedded PSF membranes were effectively utilized for the photocatalytic decomposition of the reactive black 5 (RB 5) dye. 88.8% and 23.6% degradation of RB 5 dye was observed for TiO<inf>2</inf> and CaCO<inf>3</inf> nanoparticles, respectively. However, it was observed that the TiO<inf>2</inf> and CaCO<inf>3</inf> nanoparticle incorporated PSF membranes showed a lower photodegradation of 60.4% and 18.37%, respectively, due to the masking of the nanoparticles by the polymer matrix. The direct usage of the nanoparticles showed improved photodegradation properties. © 2024 Advances in Environmental Technology (AET).