Photo-catalytic degradation of Metanil Yellow dye using TiO2 immobilized into polyvinyl alcohol/acrylic acid microgels prepared by ionizing radiation

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microgels were prepared using electron beam irradiation. To improve the PVA microgel functionality and gel fraction, chains of polyacrylic acid (PAA) were incorporated into PVA microgel by radiation grafting technique. The increase in the acrylic acid (AA) content as well as PVA Mwt is accompanied by a mutual increase in the gel fraction and a decrease in the swelling%. Immobilization of different TiO2 concentrations on the surface of the prepared PVA-AA microgel was carried out. The structural changes in the prepared PVA-AA microgel immobilized with TiO2/were investigated using FTIR, EDX and XRD. Photodegradation efficiency of TiO2/PVA-AA microgel against metnil yellow dyes was studied. TiO2/PVA-AA microgel activity increases with the increase of the amount of TiO2 and results in an increase in the rate of the photodegradation reaction. Easily recovery and reusability made TiO2/PVA/AA of great important in practice use as a photocatalytic degradation composite, for dye removal from wastewater. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.