Ag-decorated TiO2 photocatalytic membrane with hierarchical architecture: Photocatalytic and anti-bacterial activities

• Ag-decorated TiO2 photocatalytic membrane with hierarchical architecture was fabricated.
• The effect of P-123 and Ag loading on the resulted pores structure were investigated.
• Different membrane architectures were fabricated to optimize the membrane performance.
• The performance of the membrane was evaluated in the photocatalytic membrane reactor.
• Ag–TiO2 membrane exhibited an anti-bacterial property with reusability potential.

Ag-decorated TiO2 (Ag–TiO2) photocatalytic membranes have been fabricated by using Pluronic P-123 as a pore-forming and structure-directing agent. Six different hierarchical architectures were obtained by multilayer coating of different Ag–TiO2 sols. The porous structure of the resulting layers could be fine-tuned by altering the amounts of P-123 and AgNO3 added during the preparation of TiO2 sols. Physico-chemical and morphological properties of different Ag–TiO2 layers were thoroughly investigated. Ag nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into the TiO2 matrix. The Ag–TiO2 membranes possessed multi-functionality of membrane retention, Ag-enhanced TiO2 photocatalytic activity and anti-bacterial action. They were evaluated through experiments using a batch reactor and a photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR). The best performing membrane was able to remove up to 1007 mg m−2 h−1 of Rhodamine B in the PMR. Two phenomena (photocatalytic degradation and adsorptive-membrane retention) that were responsible for the RhB removal were evaluated. In the batch reactor operated in dark, the membranes were able to remove greater than 5-logs of Escherichia coli. The membrane with the highest percentage of Ag incorporated was able to remove close to 7-logs of E. coli when operated in the PMR.

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