Enhanced dye adsorption and rapid photocatalysis of candle soot coated BaTiO3 ceramics

An effective approach for enhancement in adsorption activity of candle soot and rapid photocatalysis using polarization charges of ferroelectric material BaTiO3 (BT) was demonstrated. The BT ceramics were fabricated using a solid-state reaction route. The prepared pellets were poled under the electric fields of 1.5 kV/mm and 2 kV/mm. The photocatalytic performance of BT pellets was studied by decolorizing the rhodamine B (a dye). Further, candle soot was coated on the surface of BaTiO3(BT) pellets by direct exposure of candle flame. Significant improvement in adsorption of Rhodamine B was observed with candle soot coated poled BaTiO3 samples. BT samples poled at 2 kV/mm show a maximum similar to 80% enhancement in adsorption of dye on candle soot as compared to that of the unpoled sample. The positive side of BaTiO3 surface was found to be favourable for the adsorption of Rhodamine B in acidic (pH 3) and neutral (pH 7) medium, while the negative side suited more in basic medium. The combined effect of polarization charges, adsorption, and photocatalysis was also studied. It was found that candle soot coatings can effectively enhance the rate of degradation of RB during the catalysis process.