Preparation, photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of new colored Glass-Ceramic materials

Abstract

CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic has been successfully synthesized by a melt-quenching method without heat treatment. The best composition to be used as photocatalyst is 5P2O5-45SiO2-10CaO-10Na2O-15B2O3-10TiO2, which is brown glass. The samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV Vis diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). CaNaPO4 phase embedded in glass matrix was observed from the XRD data, which means that CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic can be prepared in one step. The bandgap energy is approximately 3.57 eV. The photocatalytic activity of CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic was investigated by monitoring methyl orange degradation with the addition of H2O2. The CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic can be reused several times. After 8 cycles, the catalyst is still stable and effective in decomposing 100% of methyl orange within 5 hrs/cycle. In addition, solid phase photocatalytic activity of CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic was examined on bleaching of adsorbed MB under UV light within 25 hrs. It can also inhibit growth of E.coli bacteria after UV irradiation for 20 minutes. Therefore, the CaNaPO4 glass-ceramic might be an alternative photocatalytic material for wastewater treatment.