Multicomponent nanocomposites for elimination of diclofenac in water based on an amorphous TiO2 active in various light sources

The application of new nanocomposites SiO2-TiO2-MWCNT and SiO2-TiO2 obtained by sol-gel method was investigated in the removal of diclofenac (DCF) from water under illumination centered at 365 nm and 550 nm. The investigated nanocomposites enabled to remove DCF almost completely after 60 min of treatment. The mechanism of the photocatalytic removal of DCF under irradiation of 365 nm and 550 nm seems to be similar. The process followed pseudo-first order kinetics and the highest k1 was noted for nanocomposites treated in acidic conditions (13.65.903 × 10−2 min−1). Microtox® test revealed decreased toxicity of treated water.