Photocatalytic Properties of Chitosan-Coated PESA Spheres Containing Gallium(III) Nitrate: Synthesis and Characterization

In this study, the photocatalytic effect of Chitosan (Cht) -Coated polyanetholsulfonic acid (PESA) Spheres Containing Gallium(III) Nitrate (Ga(NO3)3) on methylene blue (MB), a cationic dye, was investigated. The spheres were synthesized by dropwise addition of a chitosan solution to a PESA-Ga(III) solution prepared in a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. It is known that the morphological properties of spheres change in the presence of metal. For this purpose, the surface morphology was determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Functional group analysis was determined using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometry. The concentration of Gallium ions remaining in the solution at the end of the reaction was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis. A UV-C tube lamp was used to photocatalytically degrade the methylene blue dye. The dye degradation changes were then analyzed in a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Furthermore, Tauc’s formula determined the band gaps with the help of Chitosan-Coated PESA Spheres Containing Ga(NO3)3 (PESA- Ga(III)/Cht) and Chitosan-Coated PESA Spheres (PESA/Cht) UV spectra. It was observed that the photocatalytic effect increased with the incorporation of Ga(NO3)3 into the polymer structure.