Abstract

Catalysed Degradation of Indanthrene Golden Orange RG in Sunlight with Vanadium - Doped TiO2

Author(s): S. M. Santhosh and Geetha R. Balakrishna

Nano sized particles of TiO2 were synthesized by gel to crystalline conversion and doped suitably with vanadium by solid state method. Semiconductor mediated photocatalysed degradation of indanthrene golden orange RG (IGORG) under sunlight and UV light has been investigated as a function of irradiation time under various conditions like pH, catalyst concentration and substrate concentration using TiO2 and vanadium- doped TiO2 in presence of different electron acceptors. Doped TiO2 was found to be more efficient under sunlight than TiO2 under various experimental conditions. The trend of degradation rates for the two photocatalysts however appear to be similar though they are experimented under different sources of light. The extent of degradation and degradation products for the enhanced degradation were analyzed by UV-visible, IR and Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The probable pathways for the formation of products is proposed.