SOL GEL SYNTHESIS OF TITANIA XEROGELS DOPED WITH COPPER, IRON, ZINC AND HYDROXYAPATITE AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE ELECTROPHOTOCATALYTIC DECOLORIZATION OF ACID BLACK 1
Susana López Ayala, Elsa Carmina Menchaca Campos, Emiliano Torres Alvarez, Jorge Uruchurtu Chavarín
Abstract: The discharge of photostable dyes into bodies of water, such as acid black 1 dye, generates problems in aquatic life, such as a decrease in oxygen dissolved and toxicity, and in humans can generate genotoxic effects, dermatitis problems, among others. Alternatives to solve these problems are photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis, mediated by TiO2 doping with copper, zinc or iron, that generates the rectification phenomenon that prevents electron-hole recombination. Specifically, photoelectrocatalysis is a way to increase the separation of charge carriers, because electrons are conducted by an external circuit and the reduction takes place in the electrode with a lower activation energy. In this work, different metal oxides were mixed to produce the ternary photoelectrocatalysts Zn-Cu-TiO2, Fe-Cu-TiO2 and hydroxyapatite (HA) calcinated at 600 and 800ºC, nanomaterials, synthesized through the single-step sol-gel process and used for photoelectrocatalytic discoloration of the acid black 1 dye. Solutions of Na2SO4 in different molarities were used as electrolyte. The Zn-Cu-TiO2 xerogel showed the best performance, followed by the HA800-Cu-TiO2. However, during the photoelectrocatalytic reaction, a persistent red coloration was formed. Due to the low potential of the nanomaterials, the production of hydroxyl radicals is avoided; however, with the generation of reactive oxygen species, discoloration was possible.
Keywords: Photoelectrocatalysis, Doped TiO2, Acid black 1, Cu. Fe, Zn, HA doped Titania, Reactive oxygen species
DOI: 10.24874/PES08.03A.013
Recieved: 09.04.2026 Revised: 16.07.2026 Accepted: 12.08.2026
UDC:
Reads: 2 
