A study on the structural and photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacine using (70B2O3-29Bi2O3-1Dy2O3)-x(BaO-TiO2) glass ceramics

Photocatalytic glass-ceramics were obtained by subjecting (70B(2)O(3)-29Bi(2)O(3)-1Dy(2)O(3))-xBT (where BT corresponds to BaO-TiO2) glasses to a suitable heat treatment. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the glasses heat treated at 570 degrees C for 24 h gave rise to a crystalline phase of Ba2Ti6O13 embedded in the host glass matrix. The optical absorption measurements carried out on the well-polished samples show a decrease in the optical band gap energy with an increase in BT content. The analysis of the FTIR and Raman spectra of these glass ceramics indicated the presence of mainly BiO6, BiO3, BO3 and BO4 units in the glass network. The study of their spectra also showed that the BT acts as a modifier in the glass network The prepared glass ceramics efficiently decomposed ciprofloxacin under UV irradiation and their decomposition ability was found to increase with an increase in the BT content. The degradation coefficient of glass ceramic with 20% BT content (268 min(-1) m(-2)) was observed to be ten times higher than the as quenched glass (24 min(-1) m(-2)) and the crystallized glass without BT (18 min(-1) m(-2)). The photocatalytic studies carried on these glass ceramics suggested their role as self cleaning glasses. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.