Synthesis, Property Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of the Polyaniline/BiYTi ₂O ₇ Polymer Composite

Abstract

A new polyaniline/BiYTi ₂O ₇ polymer composite was synthesized by chemical oxidation in-situ polymerization method for the first time. The effect of polyaniline doping on structural and catalytic properties of BiYTi ₂O ₇ was reported. The structural properties of novel polyaniline/BiYTi ₂O ₇ have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis DRS. The results showed that BiYTi ₂O ₇ crystallized well with the pyrochlore-type structure, stable cubic crystal system by space group Fd3m. The lattice parameter or band gap energy of BiYTi ₂O ₇ was found to be a = 10.2132 Å or 2.349 eV, respectively. The novel polyaniline/BiYTi ₂O ₇ polymer composite possessed higher catalytic activity compared with BiYTi ₂O ₇ or nitrogen doped TiO ₂ for photocatalytic degradation of Azocarmine G under visible light irradiation. Additionally, the Azocarmine G removal efficiency was boosted from 3.0% for undoped BiYTi ₂O ₇ to 78.0% for the 10% polyaniline-modified BiYTi ₂O ₇, after only 60 min of reaction. After visible light irradiation for 330 min with polyaniline/BiYTi ₂O ₇ polymer composite as photocatalyst, complete removal and mineralization of Azocarmine G was observed. The photocatalytic degradation of Azocarmine G followed first-order reaction kinetics. Ultimately, the promoter action of H ₂O ₂ for photocatalytic degradation of AG with BiYTi ₂O ₇ as catalyst in the wastewater was discovered.