PREPARATION OF PHOTOCATALYTICAL MATERIALS FOR WATER CLARIFICATION VIA ORGANIC WASTE

Photocatalytic oxidation is a preferable method for clarification of fresh water polluted by colourful pollutants, pesticide-like hard to treat organic pollutants and microbiological metabolites. Titanium dioxide (TiO2), having superior physicochemical properties, is one of the most common catalyst in heterogeneous photocatalysis. Free electron formed by absorption of light by titanium dioxide triggers formation of free radicals and results in oxidation of polluting compounds. Titanium dioxide is photocatalytically more active under the relatively shorter (100 nm < λ < 400 nm) UV wavelength region. This forces the usage of UV lamps for supplying UV light, which is only present at low ratios in the sunlight (8%). Doping with various elements, preparing of its composites with different oxides, usage of dyes absorbing sunlight were investigated for enhancing the photocatalytical activity of titanium dioxide and using the sunlight as energy source and some enhancements were reported. Using titanium dioxide in nano size was also reported to be enhancing its photocatalytical activity. In this work, while organic wastes rich in Carbon were milled to increase their surface area, nano sized titanium dioxide was synthesized via sol-gel method. Using these two materials C element and titanium dioxide in couple possible enhancement of the photoctatlytical activity of the synthesized material was investigated. Walnut shells were used as organic waste.