Hydrothermal synthesis of tio2 nanoflower deposited on bauxite hollow fibre membrane for boosting photocatalysis of bisphenol a

Abstract

The special physical and chemical properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2), including the environmental friendliness and facile fabrication, have made it the most widely studied photocatalyst. The use of TiO2 largely relies on its morphological traits, crystal structure, and phase dimension. The uniqueness of TiO2nanoflower structure with a coarse texture and arranged structures demonstrates higher photocatalytic activity for organic pollutants. A simple hydrothermal synthesis was used in this study with TiO2 nanoflowers implanted on the surface of bauxite-based hollow fibre membrane (BHFM). The modification was done to enhance the photocatalytic performance of the BHFM as this membrane naturally possesses catalytic property. The decorated BHFM was then subjected to catalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) under irradiation of UV light. The synthesis of TiO2 nanostructure on the membrane surface was successfully performed based on SEM images, and it has good water permeability of 323.76, 309.32 and 280.42 L/h.m2.bar for 2.5 h, 5.0 h and 7.5 h of hydrothermal time respectively. A significant difference of 25 % between the modified and unmodified BHFM was notable, which indicates its potential as a new material for photocatalyst. As a conclusion, the modified BHFM possessed enhanced photocatalytic properties under both UV light and visible light.