Photocatalytic Degradation of Malachite Green by Titanium Dioxide/Covalent Organic Framework Composite: Characterization, Performance and Mechanism

Abstract In this paper, a titanium dioxide/covalent organic framework (TiO2/COF) composite was prepared and its photocatalytic removal of dye was investigated. Using tetrabutyl titanate as a titanium source, TiO2 nanomaterial was prepared by sol‐gel method. In the presence of TiO2, TiO2/COF core‐shell composite was prepared by solvothermal synthesis using melamine and 1,4‐phthalaldehyde as ligands. The prepared materials are characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS, XRD, TG, FTIR, BET, EPR, PL, and UV‐Vis‐DRS techniques. Using malachite green as a model of dye wastewater, the photocatalytic degradation performance of TiO2/COF composites was investigated under the irradiation of ultraviolet light. The results show that the modification of COF significantly improves the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2, the degradation rate increases from 69.77 % to 93.64 %, and the reaction rate constant of the first‐order kinetic equation is increased from 0.0078 min−1 to 0.0192 min−1. Based on the free radical capture experiment, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of TiO2/COF was discussed, and the feasibility of its photocatalytic degradation of malachite green was theoretically clarified. Accordingly, a simple and practical method for photocatalytic degradation of malachite green was constructed, which has potential application value in the degradation of dye wastewater.