Chitosan/CeO 2 ‐TiO 2 Nanocomposite Membrane for Photocatalytic Degradation of Industrial Dyes

Abstract Heterogeneous photocatalytic dye degradation is an efficient method for water purification. This study focuses on the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dye Alizarin Red S using a CeO 2 ‐TiO 2 nano‐composite incorporated chitosan film. The nano composite and membrane were characterised by XRD, Raman, TGA, HR‐TEM, SEM‐EDS, XPS, PL and UV‐Vis reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic degradation capacity of the composite‐incorporated chitosan film was with Ce:Ti ratio of 1:1 and a catalyst concentration of 0.1 g/L. The reduced band gap of 3.15 eV, resulting from the combination of CeO 2 and TiO 2 , was found to enhance photocatalytic activity. Additionally, the presence of chitosan as a support material increased reactive sites, further boosting photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic mechanism involves efficient charge generation and separation at the CeO 2 ‐TiO 2 interface, suppressing electron‐hole recombination and promoting reactive oxygen species formation, leading to effective dye degradation. These results offer a promising solution for addressing water pollution and environmental contamination., presenting a viable alternative for effective pollution remediation and sustainable water purification.