A TiO 2 -nanoclay nanocomposite was used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of phenol in presence of acoustic cavitation. TiO 2 -nanoclay nanocomposite was synthesised in benzyl alcohol medium wherein TiO 2 nanoparticles were formed between the nanoclay platelets. The synthesised product was characterised by using FTIR, XRD and TEM techniques. TEM image shows that TiO 2 -nanoclay nanocomposite particles were in the range of 30-40 nm. XRD gram confirms the formation of nanocomposite of TiO 2 nanoclay. The effect of cavitation and TiO 2 -nanoclay nanocomposite photocatalyst on phenol removal was investigated. The effects of various parameters such as nanocomposite loading, initial concentration, etc., have been studied. On comparing the results obtained with that of nanocomposite without UV, it was found for an initial concentration of 500 mg/L of phenol, the TiO 2 -nanoclay nanocomposite exhibited higher percentage of pollutant removal (59%) and for nanoclay it was 47%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.