Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of nanosized modified mesocellulous silica foams (MCFs) with PW12 and vanadium oxide

A series of tungestophosphoric acid and vanadium oxide supported on Mesocellulous Silica Foams (MCFs) featuring a well-defined three-dimensional (3D) mesoporosity were studied with regard to their performance in the photocatalytic activity to degrade Oezine Y (OY). This nanosized mesoporous catalyst (PW12@V-MCF) was characterized by FTIR, XRD, BET and TEM. XRD shows that the structure of MCF remains intact after PW12 modification, while spectral techniques show the successful grafting of the PW12 on the MCF cavities. PW12-MCF was used as a catalyst in the photodecolorization process of Oezine Y (OY) dye in aqueous solution under UV radiation. It was found that the catalyst exhibited significantly high catalytic stability, and the activity loss is negligible after three OY degradation cycles.