Abstract
A nano-composite of polyaniline with TiO2 (PANI/TiO2) is prepared using the chemical oxidative polymerization method. The prepared composite is characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission and scanning electron microscopes (TEM and SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal analysis. XRD and TEM reveal the formation of the orthorhombic phase of PANI/TiO2 with an average particle size of 8 nm. The FTIR spectrum of the nano-composite shows the presence of characteristic oxide peaks in addition to PANI peaks. Thermal analysis confirms the increased thermal stability of PANI after composite formation. The PANI/TiO2 composite has been used as a catalyst for Congo red degradation using electrochemical oxidation. Several parameters which affect the percent removal are studied such as pH, electrolysis time, applied current density, and initial dye concentration. The optimum conditions for obtaining the highest possible removal efficiency were determined.