Quantitative Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light with Mn-ACF/TiO2

Abstract

Manganese and TiO2 grown on Activated Carbon Fiber (ACF) was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The prepared composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The catalytic behavior was investigated through the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) as standard dyes under visible light. The degradation performance of the degraded standard dye solutions was determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. This enhanced photocatalytic activity arises from the positive synergetic effect among the Mn, TiO2 and ACF in this heterogeneous photocatalyst. The process contributes to the release of abundant photocatalytic sites of Mn and TiO2 and improves the photocatalytic efficiency. The excellent adsorption and photocatalytic effect with the explanation of the synergetic mechanism are very useful not only for fundamental research but also for potential practical applications. Key words: TiO2, ACF, Hydrothermal, XRD, Visible light