MUÑOZ, P.; MATOS, J.; POON, P.; GOMIS, A.; ANIA, C.:
CARBON 2019, JULY 14-19, LEXINGTON, KY.
Abstract
Introduction
Heterogeneous photocatalysis has been recognized as one of the most promising sustainable technology capable of mitigating water pollution by eliminating organic pollutants under solar irradiation. It has been reported TiO2 is the best photocatalyst, but it has important limitations such as low superficial area and it is limited under solar irradiation because the solar spectrum contains approximately 5-8% of UV light. Consequently, the search for photocatalysts with visible light activity and low-cost becomes a widely researched subject. On the other hand, it has been reported that Cu- and Mo- based photocatalysts have a high photocatalytic potential, while carbon materials can greatly increase the photocatalytic activity of semiconductors [I]. For this reason, this work proposes the use of solar light and carbon-containing Cu-and Mo-based photocatalysts for the degradation of tartrazine (aka. yellow 5), an artificial colorant commonly used in the food industry.