TiO2 modified with carbonized materials: Photocatalysis/adsorption of organic pollutants from aqueous solution: A short review

Abstract

The TiO2/carbonized materials in composites provide a synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis. The activated carbon or carbonized material can be prepared using various raw materials that present agricultural waste. The most commonly used process for the preparation of the activated carbon (AC)/carbonized material is chemical activation. Chemical activation produces the activated carbon with a good surface area and pore system, which contributes to better adsorption of organic pollutants. The TiO2/AC composite materials can be prepared by sol-gel, hydrothermal and metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques. The most commonly used techniques for characterization of the TiO2/AC materials are XRD, BET, TG Analysis and UV-Vis DRS, and will therefore be discussed in this paper. The TiO2/AC composite materials have shown significant efficiency in removal of organic pollutants from aqueous solutions. The adsorption process of organic pollutants can be affected by various process parameters that will be observed in this paper.