PYRIDINE-FUNCTIONALIZED MCM-41 NANOPOROUS SILICA AS AN EFFICIENT AND REUSABLE CATALYST FOR ITS PHOTOCATALYTIC PROPERTIES

A new photocatalyst, Pyridinefunctionalized MCM-41 nanoporous silica was synthesized. The products obtained were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The band gap energy of the complex was determined by the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation, indicating that it can be considered appropriate candidate for photocatalytic activity in the region of solar spectrum. The results indicated improved photocatalytic efficiency for the complex supported on MCM-41 silica compared to the pure complex. To improve photocatalytic activity, the effect of complex loading and optimal synthesis conditions were investigated.