Development of Zn-Al-Ti mixed oxides-modified cement phases for surface photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Recently, several researches have focused on the study of the photocatalytic performance of nanoparticles in concretes and cements. This paper evaluates the photocatalytic activity of Zn-Al-Ti nanoparticles as well as the mineralogical behavior of clinker pastes with the addition of those particles. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) was performed under the irradiation of UV light. Different samples were prepared and characterized: clinker pastes with Zn-Al-Ti mixed oxides derived from Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) synthesized powder additives ranged from 0 to 20 wt. % in pastes, while the water/cement ratio was 0.4. The blend containing 20 wt. % of Zn-Al-Ti mixed oxides has clearly shown the presence of the basic elements of the nanocomposite with important contents which are responsible for photocatalysis process. Experimental results of methylene blue degradation showed that the sample containing 20% of mixed oxides Zn-Al-Ti exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity, indicating the remarkable efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes.