Abstract

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TiO was synthesized by Sol-gel method and doped by Impregnation of Nitrogen from Ammonium Chloride to obtain 5% 2 N-TiO . The undoped TiO and N-doped TiO photocatalysts were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) 2 2 Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Crystallography and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Investigation of the activities of the photocatalysts for degradation of Indigo carmine dye in aqueous solution was carried out at different operating conditions of pH, temperature, catalyst concentration and dye concentration under aeration and UV- irradiation using a 20 Watt UV lamp in a specially constructed reactor made up of four compartments. The dye degradation reaction was monitored on a N4S UV-Spectrophotometer at 290 nm. The FTIR results attested the presence of N-H, Ti-O-Ti, Ti O, H-O-H, O-H functional groups in the catalysts. The XRD Crystallography results show that 5% N- TiO catalyst 2 contains a mixture of anatase and rutile phase compared to undoped TiO which contains pure anatase phase. The SEM 2 results show decrease in particle size when TiO was doped with Nitrogen. The degradation rate was found to comply 2 2 o with first order kinetics and optimum degradation was attained at the same pH and temperature of 3 and 40 C respectively for both photocatalysts. However, the dye and catalyst concentrations where optimum degradation was observed for 5 % N-TiO and undoped TiO were found to be 20 ppm, 0.025 g/l and 12.5 ppm, 0.05 g/l respectively. Percent degradation in 2 the presence of both UV- Irradiation and catalyst was calculated to be 28.5 % and 34.14% for TiO and 5% N- TiO 2 2 respectively. The percent degradation result shows a higher efficiency on 5% N- TiO than undoped TiO

Keywords: Degradation, Indigo carmine dye, 5 % N- TiO , Photocatalysts and TiO .