Abstract
Nowadays, there is an urgent need for efficient photocatalysts and adsorbents for environmentally relevant applications. This study investigates the effect of polyaniline (PANI) on the structure and performance of carbonized nanocomposites composed of PANI and TiO(2) nanotubes (NTs), focusing on their photocatalytic degradation efficiency and dye adsorption capacity. The hypothesis was that PANI forms conductive carbon domains and stabilizes the anatase phase during thermal treatment, enhancing the performance of TiO(2)-NTs as photocatalysts. Nanocomposites based on PANI and TiO(2)-NTs (TTP) were synthesized through chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline (ANI) in the presence of TiO(2)-NTs using two TiO(2)/ANI molar ratios of 50 and 150 and subsequently carbonized at 650 °C, yielding CTTP-50 and CTTP-150. The novel CTTP composites and carbonized pristine TiO(2)-NTs (CTNT) were characterized by various techniques, including TEM, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and TGA. Their performance regarding dye adsorption and photocatalytic degradation under visible light was evaluated with Acid Orange 7, Methylene Blue, and Rhodamine B. CTTP-150 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity and photodegradation rate, attributed to the synergistic effect of PANI, which stabilizes the TiO(2) phase and enhances visible-light absorption and adsorption.