Preparation of a Floating Photocatalyst via Electroless Ni-P-TiO2 Composite Plating on Polypropylene Balls for Wastewater Treatment

摘要

Application of photocatalysts is among the most promising methods to eliminate organic pollutants in wastewater. A photocatalytic reaction, which involves the generation of reactive radicals from the reaction on the photocatalyst’s surface and their interaction with organic molecules, can degrade organic pollutants. Titanium dioxide (TiOsub2/sub) is a well-known photocatalyst because it has low toxicity and cost including high chemical stability. However, it cannot be efficiently activated in water because of the difficulty in adsorbing ultraviolet light. In this work, a floating photocatalyst was prepared by combining TiOsub2/sub, Ni-P plating, and a polypropylene (PP) hollow ball substrate. An Ni-P coating was electrolessly deposited on the PP hollow ball in the presence of TiOsub2/sub. The prepared photocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The PP hollow ball substrate was sufficiently covered with the Ni-P coating and Ti was confirmed to be contained in the Ni-P coating. The obtained specimen floated when placed in aqueous solutions and its photocatalytic activity was confirmed through degradation of methylene blue. In addition, the Ni-P plating was found to protect PP from degrading by photocatalytic activity of the TiOsub2/sub.