Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology

Synergetic effect of sonication and solar light-a new methodology for the synthesis of bimetallic nano-TiO2; Nanophotocatalysts for oxidation processes

3^rd International Conference on Nanotek & Expo

December 02-04, 2013 Hampton Inn Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Juan Carlos Colmenares Q

Accepted Abstracts: J Nanomed Nanotechnol

Abstract:

An improvement of properties of photocatalytic materials is currently one of the most urgent matter. These drawbacks severely limit a practical application of titanium dioxide photocatalysts as such to degrade organic pollutants in gas or liquid phase. Therefore, new synthesis methods are intensively searched. Sonication is currently considered one of the most powerful tools in the synthesis of nanomaterials. In comparison with traditional sources of energy, ultrasounds ensure unusual reaction conditions in liquid phase reactions due to the cavitation phenomenon. Photodeposition is a way of deposition of metal particles from its salt solution on the surface of semiconductor with the use of light. Such photodeposition as well as sonication method are well known and used independently in the synthesis of nanomaterials. A new metal nanoparticles sonophotodeposition method, which combines in situ sonication with photocatalytic reduction of metal, has been proposed earlier. Herein, reducing agents are electrons produced by the ultraviolet absorption by semiconductor materials. Ultrasounds assure dispersion of nanoparticles in the solution, enhanced mass transfer between reagents and help in the metal reduction. Four different photocatalytic systems have been prepared by this methodology. Couple of two metals, Fe-Pt and Fe-Pd, have been grafted on TiO 2 /zeolite surface by two different ways: simultaneously or by consecutive doping of already prepared Fe-TiO 2 / zeolite photocatalyst with noble metals. Such prepared materials have been characterized by different techniques to determine their structural, textural and optical properties. They have been also tested in phenol photo-oxidation reaction to proof their photocatalytic activity and perspective use in wastewater treatment

Biography :

Juan Carlos Colmenares Q graduated from Warsaw University of Technology (Chem.Eng.1995) and obtained his M.Sc. (1997) in Catalysis for Organic Technology and Ph.D. (2004) in Chemical and Material Sciences from the same university. His interests range from materials science, nanotechnology and heterogeneous catalysis to biomass and CO2 valorization, biofuels, photocatalysis and water/air purification. After his Ph.D., he worked at the University of Cordoba, Spain (2005-2006) in Prof. Marinas group as a post-doctoral fellow and at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA) (2006-2009) in Prof. G.A. Olah (Nobel Prize in Chemistry) as a post-doctoral research associate. He is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow and has participated in many research projects as a main investigator and co-leader. He has co-authored more than 35 works in international specialized journals/books