ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

An INS-MAPS Study on Adsorption-induced Vibrational Features of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange on TiO2-modified Mesoporous Silica

Abstract: The extensive use of synthetic dyes in the textile industry estimated at 700,000 tons annually poses serious environmental challenges, as a significant fraction of these compounds, including methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO), are released into water bodies without adequate treatment. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely studied photocatalyst for pollutant removal due to its stability, low cost, and non-toxicity. However, its performance is limited by low surface area and rapid charge-carrier recombination. Integrating TiO2 with mesoporous silica offers a promising strategy to overcome these limitations by increasing surface area, improving adsorption, and enhancing mass transport to active sites. Our preliminary studies indicate that TiO2-modified mesoporous silica exhibits superior dye-removal efficiency and faster kinetics compared to its individual components, suggesting a strong synergistic effect between adsorption and photocatalysis. To probe this synergy at the molecular level, this work proposes the use of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) on the MAPS. The experiment will target the high-energy stretching region (2400-4000 cm-1) to identify adsorption-induced vibrational features, chemical interactions, and potential intermediate species of MB and MO on TiO2-modified mesoporous silica. Complementary measurements are proposed on TOSCA to capture the low-energy vibrational region.

Principal Investigator: Dr Indri Badria Adilina
Experimenter: Mr Andreas Federico
Experimenter: Professor Stewart Parker
Local Contact: Dr Hamish Cavaye
Experimenter: Professor Donanta Dhaneswara
Experimenter: Ms Muflikhah Muflikhah
Experimenter: Professor Nofrijon Sofyan

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610283

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610283

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
Select the data format above to find out more about it.

Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Indri Badria Adilina et al; (2026): An INS-MAPS Study on Adsorption-induced Vibrational Features of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange on TiO2-modified Mesoporous Silica, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610283

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.