Sonocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Red by Sonochemically Synthesized TiO2-SiO2/Chitosan Nanocomposite

TiO2-SiO2/chitosan nanocomposite was synthesized using simple sonochemical technique. The characteristics of the synthesized nanocomposite were examined by TEM, SEM and EDX analysis. The performance of the prepared TiO2-SiO2/chitosan nanocomposite as efficient sonocatalyst was investigated for the degradation of methyl red. Sonocatalytic degradation of methyl red in the presence of TiO2-SiO2/chitosan nanocomposite could be described via the mechanisms of hot spots and sonoluminescence. The optimized values for main operational parameters were detected as pH of 3, TiO2-SiO2/chitosan dosage of 450 mg/L, methyl red initial concentration of 20 mg/L and ultrasonic power of 300 W. Under optimal conditions, the sonocatalytic degradation of methyl red was 99.1 %. Based on the obtained results, TiO2-SiO2/chitosan nanocomposite could be an excellent selectivity for sonocatalytic degradation of anionic dyes such as methyl red.