Application of supported TiO2 onto Iranian clinoptilolite nanoparticles in the photodegradation of mixture of aniline and 2, 4-dinitroaniline aqueous solution

•Higher activity of supported TiO2 than the bulk material in photodegradation of aniline and 2, 4-dinitroaniline aqueous mixture.•Higher activity of supported TiO2 on clinoptilolite nanoparticles than the micronized one.•Decrease in COD of the mixture during the photodegradation process.•Obeying the proposed system first order kinetics model.

Clinoptilolite nanoparticles (NCP) were used to increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in the photodegradation of mixture of aniline (AN) and 2, 4-dinitroaniline (DNAN) aqueous solution. The photocatalyst was prepared via calcinations process followed by the ion exchanging of NCP in 0.1 M of ammonium titanyl oxalate monohydrate. Samples were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, DRS and SEM. The degradation extent of the pollutants was calculated by changes in the UV–vis absorbencies of the pollutants at λmax 280 nm for AN and 360 nm for DNAN. The optimal conditions were as: 10 ppm with respect to each pollutant, pH 5.8, catalyst dose of 0.1 g L−1 and contact time of 6 h.

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