Synthesis of TiO2 via hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide and its photocatalytic activity on a suspended mixture with activated carbon in the degradation of 2-naphthol

Titania (TiO2) photocatalysts are produced using hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) at 100–600 °C. The powders are characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Anatase phase was obtained after calcination at 200 °C. The anatase-rutile transformation takes place at temperatures higher than 400 °C. Adding TiO2 powders prepared at 600 °C to activated carbon (AC), exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity than commercial TiO2 (Degussa P-25) alone in degradation of 2-naphthol under the UV-irradiation with O2. This results shows that an optimum adsorption strength on the co-adsorbent (AC) is needed to improve titania’s photoactivity in reactions of organic pollutant degradation in a shorter time.