Abstract
Fe2O3–ZrO2 catalysts with different morphologies (nanoplates (HZNPs), nanorods (HZNRs), nanocubes (HZNCs), and nanotubes (HZNTs)) were prepared by a hydrothermal method to investigate the effect of the morphology on the catalytic performance in the Fenton-like reaction for sulfamethazine (SMT) degradation. The Fe2O3–ZrO2 catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. The H2O2 adsorption and the Fe2+ density sites on the Fe2O3–ZrO2 catalysts had a close relationship with the morphologies and exhibited an important effect on the ·OH formation in the Fenton-like reaction. Free ·OH radicals were the main oxidative species in the reaction, and the normalized ·OH concentration per surface area of the catalysts was 4.52, 2.24, 2.20, and 0.37 μmol/m2 for HZNPs, HZNRs, HZNCs, and HZNTs, respectively. The Fe2O3–ZrO2 catalysts with different morphologies showed good catalytic performance, and the order of SMT degradation was HZNPs > HZNRs > HZNCs > HZNTs. Total SMT removal was achieved in the Fenton-like reaction over HZNPs at pH 3.0 and 45 °C after 240 min.
Highlights
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), involving ozone, photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton reaction and wet air oxidation and so on, are efficient treatment technologies for degrading toxic and/or refractory organic compounds [1,2,3,4]
According to the above literature, we proposed a brand-new idea, synthesis of shape-controlled metallic oxides, for improving the performance of heterogeneous Fenton-like catalysts
For the Fe2 O3 –ZrO2 catalysts with different morphologies, the nanoplates (HZNPs) exhibited an irregular plate-like structure, and the diameter decreased from ca. 214 nm to ca. 143 nm; the nanorods (HZNRs) became like short and thick sticks, and the length was obviously reduced from ca. 695 nm to ca. 217 nm; the nanocubes (HZNCs) evolved from cube to olive-shaped with a smaller size; the nanotubes (HZNTs) gradually lost the shape of nanotubes and formed a wrinkled sheet-like structure
Summary
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), involving ozone, photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, Fenton reaction and wet air oxidation and so on, are efficient treatment technologies for degrading toxic and/or refractory organic compounds [1,2,3,4]. Among the AOPs, the Fenton reaction (Fe2+ /H2 O2 ), as a green, simple and efficient process, can remove bio-refractory organic compounds. The heterogeneous Fenton-like process can avoid these shortcomings to some extent. Iron-based oxides (such as Fe3 O4 , Fe2 O3 , FeOOH, Fe0 , etc.), which are environmental-friendly and available materials, exhibit good performance in the heterogeneous. Fenton-like reaction [3,4,5,6,7,8]. The development of iron oxide catalysts with good activity and stability is a crucial challenge for the heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction
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