Photocatalyst comprising TiO₂and activated carbon made from date pits

摘要

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.

主权项

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.