Abstract
In this study, TiO2 nanomaterials were prepared using a solvothermal method and codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ ions for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light. The physicochemical properties of the obtained materials were studied by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission electron scanning microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Optical absorption was characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared materials were evaluated through methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light irradiation. Results showed the excellent performance of MB degradation investigated on TiO2 samples codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ in comparison with undoped and Co2+-doped TiO2 samples. The codoped TiO2 samples degraded 85%–90% of MB after 120 min, whereas all the prepared TiO2 samples were composed of pure anatase phase and had a spherical-like shape and mean crystalline size ranging from 6.2 nm to 7.8 determined by Scherrer’s equation. The optical absorption of the TiO2 codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+ was significantly enhanced toward the visible light region. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fits well for the degradation of MB on as-prepared TiO2 codoped with Co2+ and Fe3+.
Highlights
The development of metal oxide nanoparticles has been extensively attracted as adsorbents and photocatalysts for the treatment of dye-containing wastewater [1,2,3]
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of undoped TiO2 samples (Figure 1(a)) shows typically crystalline peaks at 2 θ = 25:1°, 37.67°, 47.71°, and 54.11° corresponding to crystal planes (101), (111), (200), and (211), respectively, which can be indexed to the anatase phase of TiO2 (JCPDS card no. 211272)
The average particle sizes of the samples were calculated from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (101) diffraction peak according to the Debye–Scherrer equation [16]: D
Summary
The development of metal oxide nanoparticles has been extensively attracted as adsorbents and photocatalysts for the treatment of dye-containing wastewater [1,2,3]. Many attempts have been conducted to extend the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 from a UV to visible light region (wavelength, λ: 400-700 nm). Doping of TiO2 with transition metals or nonmetals is the most promising approach used to activate it due to the bandgap energy reduction [5]. Transition metals can provide additional energy levels within the bandgap of a TiO2 photocatalyst. Various transition metal ions have been studied to dope with TiO2, including Co [7], Fe [8], Cr [9], Ni [10], and V [11], etc. Many researchers have focused on codoping of TiO2 with two or more metal ions for enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under solar light irradiation such as Mn and Co [12]; Ni and Cr [13]; Fe, Co, and
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