Molecularly imprinted N-doped TiO2 photocatalysts for the selective degradation of o-phenylphenol fungicide from water

In this work it is investigated the photodegradation of a widely used fungicide, i.e. the orto-phenylphenol (o-p. p.), through molecularly imprinted N-doped TiO2 photocatalysts. The materials have been prepared by the solgel technique with an easy one-pot synthesis method. The structural, textural, and surface properties of the samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N-2 adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopies (DRS), whereas the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to check the effectiveness of the molecular imprinting process. The synergistic mechanism between the molecular imprinting (that allow to obtain a selective photodegradation), N-doping (which permits to boost the photoactivity under solar light irradiation), and the photocatalysis leads to obtain selective and efficient photocatalysts for wastewater purification.