Abstract
Porous nanocomposites based on PrFeO3-TiO2 were synthesized using the glycine-nitrate combustion method with different values of mass content of TiO2 (0–7.5 %) and subsequent heat treatment in air. The results of X-ray phase analysis and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of ultradispersed TiO2, structurally close to that of anatase. The morphology, specific surface area, and porous structure of the obtained powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and adsorption-structural analysis, the results of which showed that the samples had a foam-like mesoporous structure.The specific surface area and the average pore size were in the ranges of 7.6–17.8 m2/g and 7.2–15.2 nm, respectively, and varied depending on the TiO2 content. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were studied by UV-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, the energy of the band gap was calculated as 2.11–2.26 eV. The photocatalytic activity of PrFeO3‑TiO2 nanocomposites was investigated in the process of photo-Fenton-like degradation of methyl violet under the action of visible light. It was shown that the maximum reaction rate constant was 0.095 min-1, which is ten times higher than the value for the known orthoferrite-based analogs. The obtained photocatalysts were also characterized by their high cyclic stability. Based on the studies carried out, the obtained porous PrFeO3-TiO2 nanocomposites can be considered to be apromising basis for photocatalysts applied in advanced oxidative processes of aqueous media purification from organic pollutants.
Highlights
Most industries for the manufacture of plastics, fabrics, paper, and rubber use various dyes and organic substances, leading to environmental pollution and to the development of various diseases in humans, since they are often carcinogenic and/or highly toxic compounds
Orthoferrites are complex oxides based on rare earth elements (REE) and iron with the general chemical formula of RFeO3 (R = Sc, Y, Ln), having a distorted perovskite-like structure with the Pbnm/Pnma space group [1,2,3,4]
The synthesis of nanocomposite powders based on PrFeO3-TiO2 included the preliminary preparation of titanyl nitrate TiO(NO3)2 from titanium tetrachloride TiCl4 by hydrolysis
Summary
Most industries for the manufacture of plastics, fabrics, paper, and rubber use various dyes and organic substances, leading to environmental pollution and to the development of various diseases in humans, since they are often carcinogenic and/or highly toxic compounds. Traditional methods of removing organic dyes such as adsorption, filtration, ozonizing filtration, electrochemistry, used in modern industries, are quite effective, but still do not achieve a complete decomposition of the organic dyes due to their complex aromatic structure and resistance to various environmental factors, including oxidation. There is an urgent need for the development of an alternative, for example, photocatalytic methods of water purification using environmentally friendly photocatalysts, which make it possible to effectively destroy toxic organic substances under the action of visible light. The structural, electromagnetic, and catalytic properties of REE orthoferrites make it possible to use them in the production of ceramics, magnetic devices, gas sensors, and magnetically controlled photocatalysts [9,10,11]
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