α-Ferrous oxalate with different micro scale: Synthesis and catalytic degradation effect to rhodamine B

Abstract

In this work, α-ferrous oxalate nanoparticles with 60 nm average diameter were prepared in limited spaces formed by glucose in water solution. Compared to the α-ferrous oxalate with micrometer scale obtained by conventional chemical precipitation method, the α-ferrous oxalate nanoparticles had higher catalytic activities on degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), while less amount of H2O2 and α-ferrous oxalate assumed. RhB with an initial concentration of 200 mg/L in water solution was found to be degradated almost completely at pH 7.0 and COD (chemical oxygen demand) value of the solution was decreased from 240.00 mg/L to 78.74 mg/L under existence of the nanoparticles. However, the COD value of RhB solution was decreased from 240.00 mg/L to 95.78 mg/L when α-ferrous oxalate with 2.0 μm average size was used as catalyst in the reaction under the same conditions.