Catalysis Letters, Vol.123, No.1-2, 56-64, 2008
Photocatalytic disinfection of Escherichia coli over titanium (IV) oxide supported on H beta zeolite
Photocatalytic bactericidal activity of TiO2, and supported over HY, H beta, HZSM-5 and SiO2-Al2O3 systems were investigated by taking Escherichia coli as a water pathogenic bacterial pollutant indicator. TiO2 of 0.75 g/L was the optimum concentration for higher bactericidal activity. Among HY, H beta, HZSM-5 and SiO2-Al2O3 supports, H beta supported system showed highest bacterial adsorption. This may be due to high surface area of H beta compared to others and its hydrophobic nature of zeolite that attracts the organic bacterial pollutants than the binary SiO2-Al2O3. Different loading of TiO2, ranging from 2 to 15 wt.% supported on H beta zeolite samples are evaluated for dark adsorption measurements and photocatalytic bactericidal activity studies. Increasing the TiO2 percentages onto zeolite support resulted decrease of bacterial adsorption. It is observed that 5 wt.% of TiO2/H beta system exhibited high photocatalytic bactericidal activity compared to other catalysts. This higher bactericidal activity over 5 wt.% of TiO2/H beta in comparison with TiO2 alone is due to the greater adsorption of bacteria and optimum dispersion of TiO2 on H beta zeolite facilitating higher OH center dot radical formation and attack of Escherichia coli bacteria.
Keywords:TiO2 photocatalyst;TiO2 supported H beta zeolite;Escherichia coli;photocatalytic bactericidal activity