Nano-TiO2 Immobilized on Diatomite: Characterization and Photocatalytic Reactivity for Cu2+ Removal from Aqueous Solution.

Using the diatomite as the carrier, the nano-TiO 2 /diatomite composite materials (NTID) were synthesized by the hydrolysis deposition of titanium tetrachloride. Thermodynamic behavior of the as-prepared sample was evaluated by thermo gravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Structures of the composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The photocatalytic property of the composite was investigated through the degradation of Cu 2+ in aqueous solutions. Effects of various parameters such as initial pH, catalyst amount and initial Cu 2+ concentration on the removal of Cu 2+ were investigated to optimize operational conditions. The results indicate that the nano-TiO 2 immobilized on the surface of carrier was crystallized through calcinations at 700 °C. And the phase of TiO 2 is anatase with the average crystallite size of 13 nm. The removal efficiency of 10 mg/L Cu 2+ solution by the composite reaches 96.63% after irradiation for 3 h under UV-light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]