INVESTIGADORES
CANDAL Roberto Jorge
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
TiO2 and ZnO based materials for environmental photocatalysis
Autor/es:
ROBERTO J. CANDAL
Lugar:
Clearwater
Reunión:
Congreso; The 22nd International Conference on Semiconductor Photocatalysis and Solar Energy Conversion (SPASEC-22); 2017
Institución organizadora:
Redox technologies
Resumen:
TiO2 and ZnO are without dude the most studied and developed materials with photocatalytic properties. In our group, we have studied the chemical synthesis of these materials as well as its applications in the oxidation of different contaminants in water and it bactericidal activity. The research was also focused in different aspects, as the effect of doping, the role of adsorption and competitive effect on photocatalysis, combination with biological treatment, etc.In the case of TiO2, chemical synthesis by sol gel process allows the preparation of TiO2 with different amount of its different crystalline varieties: anatase, rutile and brookite, but with comparable surface area, morphology and other structural and surface characteristics. Recently, we have performed studies on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 with different anatase/rutile ratios, in an attempt to determine the effect of such ratio in the photonic and quantum efficiency of the catalyst. A novel Monte Carlo method was developed to determine the local photon absorption rate. Results indicated a clear dependence between quantum efficiency and anatase/rutile ratio.ZnO can be prepared in multiple different forms: bars, spheres, needels, rods, etc, which are useful in different applications. This material result especially attractive for food technology applications because, between others, it is considered a GRAS material (Generally Recognized as Safe) and display bactericidal activity even at dark. Recently, we have used ZnO nanobars as reinforcement in starch based plastic films. The results showed that the bars improved the mechanical properties of the film and provided a mild bactericidal activity, which notably increased under UVA illumination. These characteristics are optimal for the elaboration of advanced materials for food packaging.
