Author Identifier
Mehdi Narimani: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3572-2479
Maryam Gonbadi: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1214-3842
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
15
Issue
1
Publisher
Nature
School
School of Engineering
Publication Unique Identifier
10.1038/s41598-025-93414-6
Abstract
This study is focused on the synthesis and evaluation of TiO2 and N-doped Ti3O5 for the photocatalytic degradation of phenol as a noxious substance commonly present in the industrial process effluents with harmful effects on human and the environment. The research addresses the critical environmental challenge posed by phenol-contaminated effluents from petrochemical industries. Leveraging Response Surface Methodology with Box-Behnken design, 17 experiments were conducted to analyze the impact of independent variables such as photo-catalyst dosage, pH, and irradiation time on degradation efficiency. Notably, the average crystallite sizes were determined as 20 nm for TiO2 and 58.3 nm for N-doped Ti3O5. Energy bandgap assessments show enhanced performance in N-Ti3O5 compared to TiO2 under sunlight. Energy bandgaps of N-Ti3O5 and TiO2 were obtained as 2.45 and 2.75 eV, respectively. The study emphasizes the impact of initial pH on the photocatalytic degradation process, highlighting the superior performance of N-Ti3O5 under neutral conditions. The interfacial charge alteration of N-Ti3O5 based on pH plays a pivotal role in dispersion and adsorption dynamics, influencing the photocatalytic removal efficiency significantly. In this study, a significant improvement in photocatalytic degradation of an industrial wastewater containing phenolic compounds, with maximum efficiencies of 99.87%, 99.78% and 99.779 under UV, visible and sunlight was observed, respectively. The optimal conditions for phenol degradation were pH = 7, 1 g/L of catalyst, and irradiation time = 30 min under low intensity UV (18 W), visible light (18 W) and sunlight, resulting in 99.823% phenol degradation. The synthesized N-doped Ti3O5 showed excellent stability and recyclability for the treatment of phenolic wastewaters. This research not only advances the understanding of Ti3O5-based photo-catalysts but also provides a practical, efficient solution for treating phenol-contaminated industrial wastewaters. The findings of this study have significant implications for environmental remediation in the petrochemical sector.
DOI
10.1038/s41598-025-93414-6
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Narimani, M., Gonbadi, M., Navabi, M., Khezri-Shooshtari, F., Ale Ebrahim, A., & Zerafat, M. M. (2025). Photocatalytic performance of N-doped Ti3O5 nano-catalyst for phenolic compounds removal from industrial wastewaters. Scientific Reports, 15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93414-6