PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF TiO2 NANO SUPPORTED ON MEMBRANE CELLULOSE ACETATE/NATA DE COCO (CA/NDC) IN PHOTODEGRADATION OF METHYLENE BLUE
<p>Study of synthesis and effectiveness of membrane catalyst of cellulose acetate/nata de coco-TiO<sub>2 </sub>nano (CA/NDC-TiO<sub>2</sub> nano) in photodegradation of methylene blue in batch system has been investigated. TiO<sub>2</sub>nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method followed by calcination at 450<sup>o</sup>C. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images indicate nano TiO<sub>2</sub> has been successfully synthesized with average particle diameter as 88,63±4,37 nm. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) of nano TiO<sub>2</sub> shows some characteristic peaks of anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> were still existed. Membrane photocatalyst of CA/NDC- nano TiO<sub>2</sub> was prepared via phase inversion method by mixing TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles with CA casting solution. Thermogravimetric analysis shows three decomposition steps of CA/NDC-nano membrane as well as CA/NDC membrane. Photodegradation of methylene blue was conducted with nano-TiO<sub>2</sub> particles and CA/NDC-TiO<sub>2</sub> membrane for 50 minutes in batch system. The absorbance changes were measured by spectrophotometer at wavelength of 664.6 nm. The result shows the photodegradation rections tended to follow second order reaction. According to the rate constant value, <em>k</em>, the photocatalytic effectivity using CA-NDC/nano TiO<sub>2</sub> membrane and nano TiO<sub>2</sub>photocatalysts in metilen blue photodegradation, statistically were not significantly different.</p>