Immobilization of TiO 2 into a poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) as hybrid film for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue Omar Ounas a,b,⇑ , Abdellah Anouar El Foulani a,b , Brahim Lekhlif b , Jamal Jamal-Eddine a a Laboratory of Synthesis, Extraction and Physico-chemical Study of Organic Molecules, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, B.P 5366 Maarif Casablanca, Morocco b Research Team Hydrogeology, Water Treatment and Climate Change, Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Hassania School of Public Works, B.P 8108 Oasis Casablanca, Morocco article info Article history: Received 26 June 2019 Accepted 4 August 2019 Available online xxxx Keywords: TiO 2 Photocatalysis Titanium dioxide Poly methyl methacrylate Immobilization Water abstract In this work, a simple and effective approach to prepare a poly methyl methacrylate – TiO 2 (TiO 2 /PMMA) film photocatalyst, by cheap and low coast technique was presented. The characterization of the film by XRD, FTIR and Transmittance spectroscopy; confirmed that TiO 2 has been well deposited on the surface of the polymer. The film prepared was subsequently used in photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB) under artificial UV irradiation and showed a good prospect for the immobilization of TiO 2 intended for the photodegra- dation of pollutants generally present in waters. Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Congress: Applied Materials for the Environment CIMAE-2018. 1. Introduction With the continuous growth of industries, water pollution has become a serious environmental issue, as industrial effluents, con- taining organic and inorganic pollutants, are constantly being dis- charged into the water stream [1]. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to develop stable, high-efficient and low-cost water treatment technologies. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the most promising water treatment technologies, especially in organic matter elimi- nation [2], it has been proved to exhibit high efficiency in the degradation of organic contaminants and disinfection of patho- genic microorganisms. In addition, heterogeneous photocatalysis has additional advantages compared with traditional water treat- ment technologies, such as (1) broad spectrum of effectiveness against various contaminants; (2) ambient operating pressure and temperature; (3) complete degradation of the parent pollu- tants and their intermediate products [3]. Due to its various appealing characteristics, TiO 2 attracts researcher’s attention. Chemical and biological inertness, relatively convenient production methods, without risks to the environment or humans, and stability in photocatalytic reactions, are only a few factors to mention [4]. TiO 2 photocatalysts are used in different applications such as self-cleaning surfaces, water purification, air purification, anticor- rosion applications, and photocatalytic lithography [4]. Systems involving a suspension of TiO 2 powder in aqueous solution exposed to UV light, are well documented since the dis- covery of its photocatalytic properties by Fujishima [5]. The use of TiO 2 directly in suspension is quite efficient since the catalyst surface area reacts widely with the pollutant. However, until now these mechanisms are still facing some technical challenges and are still under development. Separation of TiO 2 catalyst from the solution after treatment remains a major drawback because of the high-cost requirements [2]. Immobilization of TiO 2 onto a support can be utilized as an attractive solution to solve the said problem. Many techniques were suggested for the immobilization of TiO 2 on solid supports like glass, glass beads, quartz, silica, acti- vated carbon, fiberglass cloth, zeolites, stainless steel, ceramics, clothes, monolith, and polymer membranes [6]. Immobilization of TiO 2 onto a polymer and specially onto trans- parent support has also been reported several times [2,7,8]. Poly- mers are usually cheap, lightweight, and easily processed substrates, and are therefore good for immobilizing semiconduc- tors for heterogeneous photocatalytic applications [9]. Here, we propose a simple and innovative method to depose TiO 2 on a poly https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.08.068 2214-7853/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Congress: Applied Materials for the Environment CIMAE-2018. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Synthesis, Extraction and Physico- chemical Study of Organic Molecules, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, B.P 5366 Maarif Casablanca, Marocco. E-mail address: o.ounas@gmail.com (O. Ounas). Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Materials Today: Proceedings journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/matpr Please cite this article as: O. Ounas, A. A. El Foulani, B. Lekhlif et al., Immobilization of TiO 2 into a poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) as hybrid film for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.08.068