Photocatalyst comprising TiO
View Patent ↗A method is provided for adsorbing organic molecules, pollutants, or both, by contacting the organic molecules, pollutants, or both, with a photocatalyst. The photocatalyst can be made by a method that includes preparing activated carbon by calcining date pits to form a precursor material, and then impregnating the precursor material with titanium dioxide.
1. A method of adsorbing organic molecules, pollutants, or both, the method consisting essentially of:
contacting date pits, removed from dates, with a phosphoric acid solution having a phosphoric acid concentration of from about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight, to form treated date pits;
drying the treated date pits to form treated, dried date pits;
calcining the treated, dried date pits under conditions to cause the treated, dried date pits to thermally decompose and form activated carbon;
pulverizing and screening the activated carbon;
impregnating the activated carbon with titanium dioxide, to form a photocatalyst; and
adsorbing organic molecules, pollutants, or both, by contacting the organic molecules, pollutants, or both, with the photocatalyst.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the impregnating comprises impregnating the activated carbon with a solution comprising from 10% by weight to 50% by weight titanium dioxide, to form the photocatalyst.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the impregnating comprises impregnating the activated carbon with a solution comprising from about 20% by weight to about 30%, by weight titanium dioxide, to form the photocatalyst.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising adsorbing organic molecules by contacting the organic molecules with the photocatalyst.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising adsorbing pollutants by contacting the pollutants with the photocatalyst.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the date pits removed from dates contain 7-10% oil when contacted with the phosphoric acid.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of phosphoric acid in the phosphoric acid solution is from about 5% by weight to about 20% by weight.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying comprises treating the date pits at a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 150° C., for a period of from about 1 hour to about 12 hours, to dry the treated date pits, prior to the calcining.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcining occurs at a temperature of from about 300° C. to about 900° C.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcining is conducted under a nitrogen blanket.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcining is conducted under a nitrogen blanket to form a calcined product, and the method further comprises treating the calcined product with carbon dioxide gas.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the impregnating the activated carbon comprises impregnating the activated carbon with a solution of titanium dioxide, to form the photocatalyst.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calcining occurs at a temperature of 850° C. in the presence of nitrogen.
14. A method consisting essentially of:
contacting date pits, removed from dates, with a phosphoric acid solution having a phosphoric acid concentration of from about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight, to form treated date pits;
drying the treated date pits to form treated, dried date pits;
heating the treated, dried date pits under conditions to cause the treated, dried date pits to thermally decompose and form activated carbon;
pulverizing and screening the activated carbon;
impregnating the activated carbon with titanium dioxide, to form a photocatalyst; and
adsorbing organic molecules, pollutants, or both, by contacting the organic molecules, pollutants, or both, with the photocatalyst.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the impregnating comprises impregnating the activated carbon with a solution comprising from 10% by weight to 50% by weight titanium dioxide, to form the photocatalyst.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the impregnating comprises impregnating the activated carbon with a solution comprising from about 20% by weight to about 30%, by weight titanium dioxide, to form the photocatalyst.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phosphoric acid solution has a concentration of phosphoric acid of 5% by weight.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phosphoric acid solution has a concentration of phosphoric acid of 10% by weight.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the date pits removed from dates contain 7-10% oil when contacted with the phosphoric acid.