de Cordoba, María C. FernándezMatos, JuanMontaña, RicmaryPoon, Po S.Lanfredi, Silvania [UNESP]Praxedes, Fabiano R. [UNESP]Hernández-Garrido, Juan C.Calvino, José J.Rodríguez-Aguado, ElenaRodríguez-Castellón, EnriqueAnia, Conchi O.2019-10-062019-10-062019-05-15Catalysis Today, v. 328, p. 125-135.0920-5861http://hdl.handle.net/11449/187155Carbon-containing SiO 2 -based photocatalysts were prepared by the solvothermal treatment of rice husk as biogenic precursor in the presence and absence of TiO 2 and used for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine-B under simulated solar light. Data showed that the prepared catalysts are mainly composed of biogenic silica and displayed mesoporous character with surface areas ranging from 65 to 174 m 2 g -1 . The obtained materials showed photocatalytic activity comparable to that of commercial TiO 2 -P25 powders for the degradation of rhodamine-B under sunlight. The calcination at 350 °C improved the photocatalytic activity of the biogenic precursor by three times in the absence of TiO 2 . At converse, calcination of sample SiO 2 -TiO 2 decreased the photoactivity due to the appearance of non-photoactive TiSiO 4 crystalline phases in the catalyst, as inferred by XRD and XPS. A reaction mechanism for rhodamine-B degradation excluding the deethylation pathway has been proposed, based on the evolution of the absorbance spectra of rhodamine-B upon the photocatalytic tests.125-135engArtificial solar lightBiogenic silicaPhotocatalysisRhodamine BRice husksArtigo10.1016/j.cattod.2018.12.008Acesso aberto2-s2.0-85058181163