Titania-Coated Alumina Foam Photocatalyst for Memantine Degradation Derived by Replica Method and Sol-Gel Reaction

In the present work, alumina (Al(2)O(3)) foam was prepared by the replica method where a polyurethane (PU) foam (30 pores per inch (ppi)) template was impregnated with a 60 wt.% Al(2)O(3) suspension. Sintered Al(2)O(3) foam was used as substrate for the deposition of sol-gel derived titania (TiO(2)) film using dip coating. For the preparation of TiO(2) sol, titanium(IV) isopropoxide (Ti-iPrOH) was used as the precursor. The common problem of qualification and quantification of a crystalline coating on a highly porous 3D substrate with an uneven surface was addressed using a combination of different structural characterization methods. Using Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) and synchrotron Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXRD) on bulk and powdered Al(2)O(3) foam and TiO(2)-coated Al(2)O(3) foam samples, it was determined Al(2)O(3) foam crystallizes to corundum and coating to anatase, which was also confirmed by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) revealed the structural and microstructural properties of the substrate and coating. Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used to clarify the evolution of the porous microstructure. The Al(2)O(3)-TiO(2) composite was evaluated as a photocatalyst candidate for the degradation of the micropollutant medication memantine. The degradation rate was monitored using a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp operating at electromagnetic (EM) wavelength of 365 nm. The photocatalytic activity of sol-gel-derived TiO(2) film immobilized on the Al(2)O(3) foam was compared with commercially available TiO(2) nanoparticles, P25-Degussa, in the form of a suspension. The levels of memantine were monitored by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The efficiency and rate of the memantine photodegradation by suspended TiO(2) nanoparticles is higher than the TiO(2)-coated Al(2)O(3) foam. But, from the practical point of view, TiO(2)-coated Al(2)O(3) foam is more appropriate as a valuable photocatalytic composite material.