Synthesis of TiO2-CdS Photocatalyst for Photocatalytic Degradation of Carbamazepine and Photocatalytic Water Splitting for Hydrogen Production in Waste Water Using Solar and Artificial -UV Radiation
Abstract
Advanced oxidation processes, in particular, semiconductor photocatalysis, are useful methods for contaminants’ removal from wastewater including pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals, and microbial disinfection. Furthermore, the technique is beneficial for hydrogen production by photocatalytic splitting of water. The optimization of this technology for simultaneous degradation of carbamazepine, hydrogen production and upscaling for its large-scale implementation is still a big challenge for environmental engineers. This research is focused on fostering understanding and new knowledge of novel photocatalytic materials for the simultaneous elimination of water contaminants and hydrogen production. It is well known that titanium dioxide semiconductor photocatalyst is readily available, environmentally safe, and possesses significant photocatalytic activity for water decontamination. However, it is photo-responsive only in the ultraviolet region (Eg 3.2 eV) that comprises only 4% of the solar spectrum falling on Earth. Therefore, there is a need for the synthesis of a new photocatalyst or, alternatively, the modification of the TiO2 for a cost-efficient visible light responsive photocatalytic material that is suitable for the dual purpose indicated above.
This research focuses on developing a general technique to synthesize three different types of photocatalysts such as titanium dioxide (TiO2), cadmium sulfide (CdS), and cadmium sulfide doped titanium dioxide (TiO2/CdS) for the preliminary testing of the degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) under visible and UV radiation. For the characterization of the catalyst materials, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrumentation will be used. Comparisons with current literature values for results’ validation will be included and the steps for future research will be highlighted.
