TiO2/Au Nanomaterial for Photocatalytic Degradation of hormones
1 Irena Kereković
2 Ivana Grčić
3 Andreja Gajović
1 University of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, Zagreb, Croatia
2 Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Zagreb, Varaždin, Croatia
3 Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Photocatalyst based on TiO2 nanotubes doped with Au nanoparticles was prepared and characterised. Raman spectroscopy was used for the basic characterization of the nanostructures which confirmed the anatas crystal phase of TiO2 photocatalyst and presence of Au on the surface. The morphology of the surface on the nanoscale and chemical composition of the samples were examined with a field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) system with which the preparation of TiO2NT/Au was established. The photolytic and photocatalytic degradation of estrogenic hormone 17 β-Estradiol (E2) over a wide range of wavelengths of input radiation (300-1100 nm) indicate the ability of the newly synthesized catalyst to absorb radiation of the TiO2/Au Nanomaterial for Photocatalytic Degradation of hormones visible part of the spectrum and pronounced photocatalytic activity.
Keywords: nanostructured TiO2, Au nanoparticles, photocatalysis, hormones