Vanadium-containing polyphosphomolybdate immobilized on TiO2 nanoparticles: A recoverable and efficient catalyst for photochemical, sonochemical and photosonochemical degradation of dyes under irradiation of UV light

Abstract

A new photocatalyst, nanoporous anatase TiO2 crystalline particles coupled by Na5PV2Mo10O40 Keggin units, TiO2-PVMo, was prepared by combination of the methods of sol-gel and hydrothermal treatment. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), FT-IR spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and cyclovoltametery (CV). This photocatalyst exhibited a good photocatalytic (UV region) and sonocatalytic activity in the decomposition of different dyes in aqueous systems. The TiO 2-PVMo composite showed higher photocatalytic and sonocatalytic activity than pure polyoxometalate or pure TiO2.