Abstract
The aim of this work was to synthesize semiconducting oxide nanoparticles using a simple method with low production cost to be applied in natural sunlight for photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in waste water. Iron titanate (Fe2TiO5) nanoparticles with an orthorhombic structure were successfully synthesized using a modified sol–gel method and calcination at 750°C. The as-prepared Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles exhibited a moderate specific surface area. The mesoporous Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles possessed strong absorption in the visible-light region and the band gap was estimated to be around 2.16 eV. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under natural sunlight. The effect of parameters such as the amount of catalyst, initial concentration of the dye and pH of the dye solution on the removal efficiency of methylene blue was investigated. Fe2TiO5 showed high degradation efficiency in a strong alkaline medium that can be the result of the facilitated formation of OH radicals due to an increased concentration of hydroxyl ions.
Highlights
The major worldwide challenge for the twenty-first century is to supply and ensure safe water for the entire ecosystem
All diffraction peaks can be indexed to the orthorhombic phase of Fe2TiO5 with space group D12h7 (Cmcm) without any peaks originating from impurities
Fe2TiO5 nanopowder was successfully synthesized through a simple sol–gel route followed by calcination at 750°C
Summary
The major worldwide challenge for the twenty-first century is to supply and ensure safe water for the entire ecosystem. Rapid industrialization growth is the major cause of water pollution. Dyes are a class of organic compounds, widely used in textiles, printing and food industry. Dye effluents have a considerable negative influence on the environment, and most of them are highly toxic and nonbiodegradable [1,2]. Methylene blue (MB) is a phenothiazine derivative, used for dying textiles, and it is highly toxic and carcinogenic [3]. Conventional methods like adsorption, ozonation, etc., have been used for removing these highly toxic compounds; due to different limitations, these pollutants cannot be eliminated from waste water [4]. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are a class of oxidation techniques in which organic contaminants are degraded to harmless products
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