Mutton bone derived hydroxyapatite supported TiO2 nanoparticles for sustainable photocatalytic applications

In this work, hydroxyapatite (HAp) was prepared using low-cost waste mutton bone, having properties such as ion-exchange ability, thermal stability and adsorption capabilities. Mutton bone derived hydroxyapatite (MBHAp) was further utilized as a photocatalyst support to host titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. TiO2 nanoparticles were incorporated over MBHAp support by simple sol-gel route. MBHAp support and MBHAp supported TiO2 nanoparticles (MBHAp-T nanoparticles) were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. Deposited TiO2 nanoparticles were found in anatase phase as confirmed by XRD analysis. Photocatalytic activity of MBHAp-T nanoparticles was demonstrated using methylene blue (MB) dye as a model pollutant and excellent photocatalytic property was observed using MBHAp-T nanoparticles photocatalyst, characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometer. MBHAp-T nanoparticles displayed the stable reusable capability (efficiency decreased by only 8.4% over 10 degradation cycles). Photocatalyst crystal structure and morphology remain unaltered even after 10 consecutive usages. The high stable activity of the photocatalyst was attributed to the inhibition of agglomeration of nanoparticles along with enhanced light absorption ability of the MBHAp cost-effective green support, owing to its non-absorbing nature. The present study demonstrates a sustainable application of the MBHAp support in the development of cost-effective, highly efficient supported TiO2 nanoparticles for water purification through a green and sustainable avenue.