Enhanced photocatalytic treatment of oilfield wastewater using TiO2/MoS2 nanocomposites prepared via sol–gel and hydrothermal methods

Abstract

In this study, TiO₂, MoS₂ and TiO₂/MoS₂ nanomaterials were successfully synthesized by sol–gel method and hydrothermal method using butyl titanate and ammonium molybdate as precursors. In the experiment of photocatalytic degradation of oilfield wastewater, the effects of catalyst dosage, initial pH value, reaction time and other key factors on the photocatalytic activity were systematically investigated. The results show that under the conditions that the capacity of wastewater treatment reaction system is 200 mL, the dosage of TiO₂ and TiO₂/MoS₂ are both 0.8 g, the initial pH value is between 3 and 4, and the reaction time is 40 min, the removal rates of oil and suspended matter in oilfield wastewater by TiO₂/MoS₂ can reach 79.4% and 92.7%. This significant improvement is likely due to the synergistic effect of TiO₂/MoS₂ composites, where the presence of MoS₂ helps to improve light absorption and electron transport efficiency, thereby enhancing photocatalytic performance. The detailed mechanisms in this regard will be further elaborated in subsequent discussions. The innovation of this study lies in the successful synthesis of TiO₂/MoS₂ composites, and the systematic exploration of its high efficiency and influencing factors in the photocatalytic treatment of oilfield wastewater.