{
  "abstract": "The influence of inorganic ions in wastewater matrices on the activity and reuse of TiO₂ photocatalysts is an important consideration in photocatalytic water treatment. This study investigates the effect of sulfate ions (SO₄ ²⁻) on the photocatalytic degradation of the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) using anatase TiO₂ under different irradiation and pH conditions. Photocatalytic performance across repeated treatment cycles was evaluated using cumulative percent degradation (CPD), a parameter introduced in this study, and related to changes in the percent atomic concentration (PAC) of elements detected on the recovered TiO₂ surface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Under UV irradiation, SO₄ ²⁻-containing systems exhibited the highest CPD values, reaching 248.10% at pH 4 (TMB4) and 294.23% at pH 10 (TMB8), indicating enhanced cumulative MB degradation in the presence of sulfate under these conditions. Surface characterization revealed changes in the carbon-, nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-containing species associated with the TiO₂ surface following photocatalytic treatment. Carbon-containing surface species increased in the recovered samples and were associated with changes in photocatalytic performance. XPS analysis indicated that sulfur detected on irradiated sulfate-containing samples was attributable to surface-bound sulfate-derived species, with no evidence supporting the formation of discrete molecular sulfur species. Overall, the results demonstrate that SO₄ ²⁻, particularly in combination with UV irradiation, can enhance the cumulative photocatalytic degradation of MB while influencing the surface chemistry of anatase TiO₂. The findings provide further insight into the relationship between wastewater ionic composition, photocatalytic performance, and surface transformations associated with the repeated application of TiO₂ photocatalysts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Bayero University Kano P.M.B. 3011 Kano State Nigeria hufarouk.chm@buk.edu.ng.",
    "Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hamisu Umar Farouk",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6395-4192"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7586-1903"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Wan Mohd Ashri Wan Daud"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/76fzegayhwjht.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1039/d6ra02604d",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13647580",
  "id": "76fzegayhwjht",
  "issns": [
    "2046-2069"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42852249",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2105|TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220942114",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13647580?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13647580",
  "pmid": "42852249",
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/76fzegayhwjht.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42852249",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42852249"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "issn:2046-2069",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Sulfate-driven enhancement of TiO₂ anatase photocatalysis for cationic dye degradation: mechanistic insights and degradation optimization.",
  "title_text": "Sulfate-driven enhancement of TiO₂ anatase photocatalysis for cationic dye degradation: mechanistic insights and degradation optimization.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/76fzegayhwjht",
  "venue": "RSC advances",
  "versions": []
}