Abstract
The presence of hazardous chemicals in wastewater produced by industrial activities and human metropoles is threating the availability of safe drinking water. The development of a multifunctional material coupling adsorption and photocatalytic activity is hereby particularly promising for the removal of pollutants. We have proved the adsorption and catalytic activity of NiFe2O4-layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite through the degradation of methyl orange (MO) at room temperature under visible light. This degradation is enhanced by using a set of small light-emitting diodes (LEDs) providing a uniform 405 nm UV light. The remediation process is based on a first-step rapid adsorption of MO molecules by the LDH structures followed by the photocatalytic oxidation of the pollutant by the (·OH) radicals produced by the NiFe2O4 semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs). The magnetic properties of the ferrite NPs allow a facile separation of the composite from the liquid media via a simple magnet. NiFe2O4-LDH composite could find wide application as a highly effective adsorbent/oxidizing catalyst operating under visible or near UV light.
Highlights
One of the most important recent milestones that must be addressed is the human right to water.The growth of the global human population and the increase of industrial activities is leading to an insufficient water supply to satisfy basic human, commercial and agricultural needs
In order to fully characterize the structure of the compounds used during the removal process we have proceeded to perform X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the individual compounds and the composites employed before and after the degradation of methyl orange (MO)
layered double hydroxide (LDH) compound of general formula [M2+ 1−x M3+ x (OH)2 ] [CO3 2− ]x /2 ·nH2 O, where Mg2+ and Al3+ are divalent and trivalent cations and CO3 2− is the interlayer anion. It can be indexed with the R−3m space group (S.G.) with a = 3.048 Å, c = 22.978 Å and α, β = 90◦, γ = 120◦ lattice parameters
Summary
One of the most important recent milestones that must be addressed is the human right to water. New technologies able to degrade these complex pollutants are needed These include advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) [1,2,3], adsorption methods [4,5,6] and photocatalytic processes [7,8,9]. We have shown that the calcined NiFe2 O4 -layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite can combine adsorption and photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange MO. Ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) are semiconductors showing band gaps with a favorable overlap with visible light This could find application in the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants and its magnetic properties allow a facile separation of the NiFe2 O4 -LDH composite from the liquid media via a simple magnet [8,14]. Summarizing, NiFe2 O4 -LDH composite could find wide application as a highly effective adsorbent/oxidizing catalyst operational under visible or near-UV light
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