Photodegradation of aniline in water in the presence of chemically activated halloysite: Fid-Bau Portal

Photodegradation of aniline in water in the presence of chemically activated halloysite

Szczepanik, Beata / Słomkiewicz, Piotr

Abstract Photocatalytic degradation of aniline was investigated in aqueous solutions containing halloysite (Hal) nanotubes, chemically activated halloysite (AHal), and photocatalysts: TiO2 (anatase) and commercial titania P25, under UV illumination. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis/DR spectra and nitrogen adsorption isotherms were carried out to characterize the activated halloysite. The effects of the AHal and titania photocatalyst amount as well as aniline concentration were examined. It is observed that the photodegradation of aniline has a similar course in the presence of AHal and in the presence of P25 and TiO2, both with respect to the decomposition of aniline and in decreasing the amounts of photoproducts being formed during the irradiation of aniline. The photodegradation of aniline is clearly slower in presence of Hal nanotubes than for AHal and P25. The disappearance of aniline follows approximately according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics. The values of rate photodegradation constant are decreasing in the following order: P25>TiO2 >AHal>Hal nanotubes. These results have indicated that halloysite containing titanium dioxide could be employed during photocatalytic removal of aniline from the aqueous solution, similarly to commercial titania photocatalysts.

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Highlights • Halloysite was applied during photodegradation of aniline in aqueous solution. • Results were compared with photodecomposition of aniline over titania photocatalysts. • Inverse liquid chromatography used for aniline adsorption measurements on halloysite.