Influence of ammonia on properties of TiO2‐MgFe2O4 as high visible‐light active photocatalysts for the degradation of Rhodamine B

Abstract

AbstractThe influence of ammonia on TiO2‐MgFe2O4 catalysts synthesized via a hydrolysis and co‐precipitation, followed by calcination at 500°C, was studied. Two different catalysts, TiO2‐MgFe2O4 (Am) and TiO2‐MgFe2O4 (W), were prepared using Ti‐precursors, which were synthesized by the hydrolysis of Ti‐butoxide with and without ammonia. The resulting TiO2‐MgFe2O4 catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), specific surface area measurements, X‐ray diffraction, and UV‐vis diffuse reflectance techniques. It was revealed that strong electronic coupling exists between the TiO2 and MgFe2O4 components within the TiO2‐MgFe2O4 catalysts. Photocatalytic activity toward Rhodamine B (RhB) was investigated in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. TiO2‐MgFe2O4 (W) was found to be an effective catalyst and had several advantages over TiO2‐MgFe2O4 (Am). These results clearly highlight that ammonia had a significant influence on the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2‐MgFe2O4 catalysts. Therefore, the results reported herein indicate that TiO2‐MgFe2O4 is a green, low‐cost, and highly efficient photocatalyst for environmental remediation.