Immobilization of PDMS-SiO2-TiO2 composite for the photocatalytic degradation of dye AO-7

Crack-free PDMS-SiO 2 -TiO 2 composite as photocatalyst was prepared for degrading dyes by using thin-film fixed bed reactor. The hydrophobic surface of the photocatalyst loaded with PDMS-SiO 2 -TiO 2 composite could be considered as an extractant for organic pollutants. The effect of different supports including pumice stone, medicinal stone, and fiberglass for photocatalytic efficiency were compared. Under the same condition, it was found that the photocatalytic degradation effect of dyes was best when PDMS-SiO 2 -TiO 2 composite was fixed on pumice stone rather than medicinal stone or fiberglass. Furthermore, when pumice stone was used as the support for PDMS-SiO 2 -TiO 2 composite, the photocatalytic degradation effect of dyes hardly decreased after five cycles.