Functionalized Silicate Supported TiO2-ZnO Nanocomposite Film and its Application in Simultaneous Photocatalytic Degradation of Toxic Molecules

The TiO2-ZnO nanocomposite materials ((TiO2-ZnO)NCM) with different molar ratios (Ti:Zn) was synthesized by chemical route and dispersed in functionalized silicate sol-gel matrix (Silicate/(TiO2-ZnO)NCM)). The as prepared Silicate/(TiO2-ZnO)NCM were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The dispersion of the small amount of (TiO2-ZnO)NCM in silicate sol-gel matrix paves the way for the preparation of solid-state thin film photocatalyst which is advantageous for the separation of the catalyst from solution, the substrates and the reaction products. The simultaneous photoinduced oxidation of methylene blue (MB) dye and reduction of Cr (VI) to Cr (III) was examined at different amine functionalized silicate sol-gel embedded (TiO2-ZnO)NCM films. The (TiO2-ZnO)NCM dispersed into the amine functionalized silicate sol-gel matrix (TPDT) exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity when compared to the (TiO2-ZnO)NCM without the silicate sol-gel. The functionalized silicate sol-gel supported (TiO2-ZnO)NCM is a potential candidate for energy conversion and environment remediation and cleaning applications.