Synthesis of a Novel Photocatalyst Based on Silicotitanate Nanoparticles for the Removal of Some Organic Matter from Polluted Water

The use of waste from various agricultural sectors has recently drawn increased interest from the scientific, technological, ecological, economic, and social fields. As such, in this study, a novel production of an affordable and environmentally friendly photocatalyst of silicotitanate (S1, S2, and S3) made from silica solution (extracted from rice husk ash) and various molar ratios of titanium (IV) 2-ethylhexyl-oxide is reported. Following that, chitosan/silicotitanate (CHMix) nanocomposite material was created through a crosslinking reaction between chitosan and fabricated silicotitanate (S2). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), as well as N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm and zeta potential measurements were used to characterize each of the fabricated samples. Additionally, in comparison to neat chitosan, the newly fabricated material’s (CHMix) photocatalytic reactivity was investigated using two synthetic anionic dyes, reactive blue and Congo red, with decolorization rates of up to 95.76% and 99.9%, respectively. The decolorization results showed that CHMix is the most efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of reactive blue and Congo red. Reactive blue and Congo red’s molecular structures were almost completely broken when equilibrium was reached using sunlight, and the decolorization rate for both dyes was close to 100%. As a result, the combination of chitosan and silicotitanate, or CHMix, has an effective photocatalytic capability for dye degradation in both natural and concentrated sunlight.