PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF TiO2 NANO SUPPORTED ON MEMBRANE CELLULOSE ACETATE/NATA DE COCO (CA/NDC) IN PHOTODEGRADATION OF METHYLENE BLUE

Abstract

Study of synthesis and effectiveness of membrane catalyst of cellulose acetate/nata de coco-TiO₂ nano (CA/NDC-TiO₂ nano) in photodegradation of methylene blue in batch system has been investigated. TiO₂nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method followed by calcination at 450^oC. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images indicate nano TiO₂ has been successfully synthesized with average particle diameter as 88,63±4,37 nm.  X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) of nano TiO₂  shows some characteristic peaks of anatase TiO₂ were still existed. Membrane photocatalyst of CA/NDC- nano TiO₂ was prepared via phase inversion method by mixing TiO₂ nanoparticles with CA casting solution. Thermogravimetric analysis shows three decomposition steps of CA/NDC-nano membrane as well as CA/NDC membrane. Photodegradation of methylene blue was conducted with nano-TiO₂  particles and CA/NDC-TiO₂ membrane for 50 minutes in batch system. The absorbance changes were measured by spectrophotometer at wavelength of 664.6 nm. The result shows the photodegradation rections tended to follow second order reaction. According to the rate constant value, k, the photocatalytic effectivity using CA-NDC/nano TiO₂ membrane and nano TiO₂photocatalysts in metilen blue photodegradation, statistically were not significantly different.