Combination of La-TiO2 and activated carbon fiber for degradation of toxic organic pollutants under the visible light

Abstract

La-TiO2 combined with activated carbon fiber (ACF) was prepared and used for removal of toxic organic pollutants including bisphenol A (BPA) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) from aqueous solution. Characterization results showed that La loaded on TiO2 has narrowed bandgap energy of TiO2 and extended adsorbing light in the range of 400–600 nm. The photocatalytic degradation of BPA and 2-CP by various influencing factors such as solution pH, initial concentration of pollutants, reaction time and recycle ability of material were investigated. The results meant that removal of BPA and 2-CP highly dependent on the initial concentration and solution pH. At pH 9.0, and 10 mg/L of initial concentration, the photocatalytic efficiency of La-TiO2/ACF for BPA and 2-CP was achieved 85.7 and 96.3% within 60 min under visible light irradiation, respectively. Afterwards, the photocatalytic properties of recycling and the generated intermediates products from the photocatalytic degradation of BPA and 2-CP were also evaluated.