Simulated Visible Light Research Articles

Pompon-like structured g-C3N4/ZnO composites and their application in visible light photocatalysis

In this work, pompon-like structured g-C3N4/ZnO composite photocatalyst was fabricated by a two-step method and characterized through different characterization tools to determine the photophysical properties. It is discovered that the synthesized pompon-like g-C3N4/ZnO photocatalyst is composed of flake g-C3N4 coated on the pompon surface of ZnO to form a heterojunction structure. In the composite photocatalyst, the pompon ZnO has large surface area (41.81 m2/g) which can provide more reactive sites for composite catalysts, the g-C3N4 can absorb the visible light which can effectively expand the absorption range of the composite, and the heterostructure formed between g-C3N4 and pompon ZnO can effectively reduce the coincidence efficiency of photo-generated carriers. The photocatalytic performance of pompon-like g-C3N4/ZnO photocatalyst was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) organic dyes under simulated solar light irradiation and the optimum doping amount of g-C3N4 is 10%. The stability of the composite photocatalyst was tested by five runs of RhB photodegradation under simulated visible light.

The Roles of Graphene and Ag in the Hybrid Ag@Ag2O-Graphene for Sulfamethoxazole Degradation

Ag@Ag2O-graphene (Ag@Ag2O-G) with different concentrations of graphene was synthesized using a facile in situ precipitation method. The photocatalysts were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The antibioticsulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradationunder simulated solar light and visible light irradiationwas investigated to evaluate photocatalytic performance. The composite photocatalyst Ag@Ag2O-G with 2.5 wt% graphene presented the highest activity among all the prepared composite photocatalysts. The coupling of graphene and Ag0 increased the photocatalyticactivity and stability of pure Ag2O. Under higher SMX concentrations, the adsorption, not the photocatalytic ability, playeda crucial role during the SMX removal process. On the basis of the characterization and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging experiments, a separation and transfer mechanism of photogenerated carriers was proposed. In the photocatalytic degradation of SMX, the major active species wereidentified as photogenerated holes; photogenerated electrons in the conduction band (CB) of Ag2O could not transfer to graphene through Ag0due to the more negative reduction potential of graphene. This is an important result regardinggraphene and Ag0 roles which isdifferent from that for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes. This researchmay provide new insights into photocatalytic processes for the degradation of non-dye pollutants bycomposite materials to guidethe design of highly efficient reaction systems.

Transparent Glass with the Growth of Pyramid-Type MoS2 for Highly Efficient Water Disinfection under Visible-Light Irradiation.

Water disinfection is of great importance for human health and daily life. Photocatalysts with high efficiency, environmental protection, and narrow bandgaps are critical for practical watertreatment. Here, a general approach is reported for the direct growth of pyramid-type MoS2 (pyramid MoS2) on transparent glass by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The pyramid MoS2 exhibits a smaller bandgap and higher bactericidal activity than most TiO2-based photocatalysts. The adjustable-bandgap nature of two-dimensional (2-D) MoS2 can harvest a wide spectrum of sunlight and provide more active sites with which to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for bacterial death in water. Furthermore,silver (Ag) with several nanometers thicknesses is thermally evaporated on the pyramid MoS2, which can greatly facilitate electron-hole pair separation to generate more ROS and has a certain bactericidal effect. With our established approach, under simulated visible light, more than 99.99% of Escherichia coli can be successfully deactivated in 40 min, with an effective mass per unit of less than 0.7 mg L-1 in a 0.9 wt % NaCl solution. Besides, for the first time, the generation of ROS is confirmed with in situ Raman spectroscopy on pyramid MoS2@Ag glass, and the related bactericidal mechanism is present as well.

Hydrothermal synthesis of rose-like AgVO3/Bi2WO6 heterojunctions with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

A novel rose-like AgVO3/Bi2WO6 (Ag-BW) heterojunctions composite is successfully synthesized by introducing in-situ anchoring AgVO3 NPs on the interface of pure Bi2WO6. The AgVO3/Bi2WO6 heterojunction composite was doped with different contents of AgVO3 during preparation, the photocatalytic activity of Ag-BW was evaluated by photodegradation of Methyl orange (MO) under simulated visible light. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of 0.2Ag-BW under visible light for degradation of MO was up to 90.35% within 120 min, which was much higher than that of other doping and pure compound. It was significantly found that the introduction of AgVO3, which suppressed the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs on the interface of Bi2WO6, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity.

CuTCPP hybridized Bi2MoO6 composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In order to increase the availability of the solar light, a Cu(II) meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (CuTCPP) sensitizer was introduced into Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst. The obtained CuTCPP/Bi2MoO6 composite exhibited much enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under both simulated solar light and visible light beyond the absorption edge of Bi2MoO6 (λ > 500 nm), which can be attributed to the broadened photo-response range, as well as the increased charge separation rate of the CuTCPP/Bi2MoO6 composite. Our study demonstrates that hybridizing with porphyrin derivatives can be an effective strategy to increase the utilization rate of the solar light efficiently in a photocatalytic system.

Performance of Bi2O3/TiO2 prepared by sol-gel on p-Cresol degradation under solar and visible light.

Photocatalytic degradation of p-Cresol was evaluated using the mixed oxide Bi2O3/TiO2 (containing 2 and 20% wt. Bi2O3 referred as TB2 and TB20) and was compared with bare TiO2 under simulated solar radiation. Materials were prepared by the classic sol-gel method. All solids exhibited the anatase phase by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized materials presented lower crystallite size and Eg value, and also higher surface area as Bi2O3 amount was increased. Bi content was quantified showing near to 70% of theoretical values in TB2 and TB20. Bi2O3 incorporation also was demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Characterization of mixed oxides suggests a homogeneous distribution of Bi2O3 on TiO2 surface. Photocatalytic tests were carried out using a catalyst loading of 1gL-1 under simulated solar light and visible light. The incorporation of Bi2O3 in TiO2 improved the photocatalytic properties of the synthesized materials obtaining better results with TB20 than the unmodified TiO2 under both radiation sources.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of surface disorder-engineered CaTiO3

In this work, we attempted to create surface disorder on CaTiO3 nanocuboids by NaBH4 treatment with the aim of enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The samples were systematically investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, XPS, UV–vis DRS, PL, EIS and photocurrent response. The photocatalytic activity of the samples were evaluated by degrading RhB under irradiation of simulated sunlight, UV and visible light. It is demonstrated that NaBH4-treated CaTiO3 samples exhibit an obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity. In particular, the sample treated at 0.1 M NaBH4 solution has a photocatalytic activity ca. 2.0 times higher than pristine CaTiO3. This is ascribed to the fact that the created surface disorder facilitates the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and thus more photogenerated holes are able to participate in the photocatalytic reactions.

Graft Gum Ghatti Caped Cu2O Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Naphthol Blue Black Dye

Photodecolorization of naphthol blue black dye through the use of Cu2O nanoparticles capped with a biopolymer matrix containing gum ghatti (Gg) grafted with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AAm) (Cu2O/Gg–AAm–AA) has been studied. While the homogeneous co-precipitation method was adopted for the synthesis of the Cu2O nanoparticle, its incorporation into the biopolymer matrix (Gg–AAm–AA) was performed through the graft copolymerization method. The synthesized Cu2O and Cu2O/Gg–AAm–AA were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, EDX and UV–Vis spectroscopies, and BET surface area analysis. The photodecolorization experiment was performed using simulated ultraviolet and visible light irradiations, and these results compared with that of adsorption studies. The influence of pH, catalyst dose and dye concentration on the decolorization efficiency were also taken into consideration. The results revealed the Cu2O/Gg–AAm–AA to be an excellent photocatalyst for effective elimination of naphthol blue black dye from water. The process was observed to be pH dependent, with pH 6 being the optimum value. The photodecolorization process increased with increasing catalyst concentration but decreased beyond the optimum value of 0.3 g L−1. The process also decreased with increasing dye concentration. The result of the recyclability study indicates that the Cu2O/Gg–AAm–AA nanocomposite can be effectively recycled and re-used over a number cycles.

Photocatalytic degradation of dyes over Au decorated SrTiO<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles under simulated sunlight and visible light irradiation

Au–SrTiO3 nanocomposites were prepared using a photocatalytic reduction method by which the Au nanoparticles with particle size of 7–26 nm were deposited on the surface of SrTiO3 particles with an average diameter of ∼55 nm. The structure, morphology and optical properties of products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. It is found that the loaded Au nanoparticles on SrTiO3 particles exist in the metallic state, and the surface plasmon resonance absorption band centered around 557 nm is obviously detected in the diffuse reflectance spectra of Au–SrTiO3 nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activities of samples toward the degradation of dyes (acid orange 7 and methyl orange) were evaluated under simulated sunlight and visible light irradiation. The results indicate that the decoration of Au nanoparticles can effectively improve the photocatalytic activity of SrTiO3, and the catalytic efficiency of composites is related to the content of Au. More importantly, the Au–SrTiO3 nanocomposites exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity under simulated sunlight than under visible light. In addition, a possible promotion mechanism of Au nanoparticles on the photocatalytic activity of SrTiO3 was proposed.

Inactivation Mechanisms of Human and Animal Rotaviruses by Solar UVA and Visible Light.

Two rotavirus (RV) strains (sialidase-resistant Wa and sialidase-sensitive OSU) were irradiated with simulated solar UVA and visible light in sensitizer-free phosphate buffered solution (PBS) (lacking exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS)) or secondary effluent wastewater (producing ROS). Although light attenuated for up to 15% through the secondary effluent wastewater (SEW), the inactivation efficacies increased by 0.7 log10 for Wa and 2 log10 for OSU compared to those in sensitizer-free phosphate buffered solution (PBS) after 4 h of irradiation. A binding assay using magnetic beads coated with porcine gastric mucin containing receptors for rotaviruses (PGM-MB) was developed to determine if inactivation influenced RV binding to its receptors. The linear correlation between the reduction in infectivity and the reduction in binding after irradiation in sensitizer-free solution suggests that the main mechanism of RV inactivation in the absence of exogenous ROS was due to damage to VP8*, the RV protein that binds to host cell receptors. For a given reduction in infectivity, greater damage in VP8* was observed with sialidase-resistant Wa compared to sialidase-sensitive OSU. The lack of correlation between the reduction in infectivity and the reduction in binding, in SEW, led us to include RNase treatment before the binding step to quantify virions with intact protein capsids and exclude virions that can bind to the receptors but have their capsid permeable after irradiation. This assay showed a linear correlation between the reduction in RV infectivity and RV-receptor interactions, suggesting that RV inactivation in SEW was due to compromised capsid proteins other than the VP8* protein. Thus, rotavirus inactivation by UVA and visible light irradiation depends on both the formation of ROS and the stability of viral proteins.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Mg2+ doped Bi2WO6 under simulated visible light irradiation

Mg2+ doped Bi2WO6 photocatalysts were synthesized through a hydrothermal method. Chemical compositions, morphologies, and photocatalytic activities of the products were studied. The Mg2+ doped Bi2WO6 was constructed by many loosely connected nanosheets and the surface area was greatly increased. The crystal lattice was distorted and the absorption edges were red-shifted after Mg2+ doping. When added 1.0% molar ratio of Mg(NO3)2 in the precursor, the Mg2+ doped Bi2WO6 product showed the best photocatalytic activity, and 94.1% RhB was decomposed after 45 min irradiation, which was 24.6% higher than that of the undoped one. Reasons for the improved photocatalytic activity were proposed.

TiO2 nanosheets decorated with B4C nanoparticles as photocatalysts for solar fuel production under visible light irradiation

Boron carbide (B4C) nanoparticles-decorated anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheets photocatalysts were synthesized by a hydrothermal method in the presence of hydrofluoric acid and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectra, etc. With metallic Pt nanoparticles as a co-catalyst, the as-synthesized B4C/TiO2 composites were evaluated using photocatalytic CO2 or H2O reduction to solar fuels such as methane and hydrogen. Under either simulated sunlight or visible light irradiation, coupling p-type B4C with n-type anatase TiO2 significantly improved the photocatalytic performance. Both photoluminescence and transient photocurrent measurements indicated that the interfacial coupling effect between B4C and anatase TiO2 could significantly promote photo-excited charges separations. On the basis of measurements and literatures, a possible mechanism of excited charges transfer at the B4C-anatase TiO2 heterojunction interface during irradiation was deduced.

Novel microwave-assisted synthesis of porous g-C3N4/SnO2 nanocomposite for solar water-splitting

Highly porous nanocomposites of graphitic-carbon nitride and tin oxide (g-C3N4/SnO2) were prepared through simple pyrolysis of urea molecules under microwave irradiation. The initial amount of tin was varied in order to investigate the effect of SnO2 content on preparation and properties of the composites. The synthesized nanocomposites were well-characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, BET, FTIR, XPS, DRS, and PL. A homogeneous distribution of SnO2 nanoparticles with the size of less than 10 nm on the porous C3N4 sheets could be obtained, suggesting that in-situ synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles was responsible for the formation of g-C3N4. The process likely occurred by the aid of the large amounts of OH groups formed on the surfaces of SnO2 nanoparticles during the polycondensation reactions of tin derivatives which could facilitate the pyrolysis of urea to carbon nitride. The porous nanocomposite prepared with initial tin amount of 0.175 g had high specific surface area of 195 m2 g−1 which showed high efficiency photoelectrochemical water-splitting ability. A maximum photocurrent density of 33 µA cm−2 was achieved at an applied potential of 0.5 V when testing this nanocomposite as photo-anode in water-splitting reactions under simulated visible light irradiation, introducing it as a promising visible light photoactive material.

Facile construction of phosphate incorporated graphitic carbon nitride with mesoporous structure and superior performance for H2 production

Novel mesoporous phosphate incorporated g-C3N4 (CNM-Px) polymeric material was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal-calcination method, using melamine as precursor and phosphoric acid as dopant. The successful incorporation of phosphate into the framework of g-C3N4 nanosheets was verified by XRD, FT-IR and XPS characterizations and the possible formation mechanism was put forward. The as-fabricated CNM-Px samples were applied to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and exhibited remarkably improved photocatalytic performance both under simulated sunlight and visible light irradiation. The concentration of phosphoric acid was also well tuned and the optimal concentration was 2.5 mol L−1. The hydrogen evolution rate of the optimized sample CNM-P2.5 (the concentration of treating phosphoric acid was 2.5 mol L−1) reached 8163 μmol g−1 h−1 under simulated sunlight irradiation, which is 3.7 times higher than that of pristine g-C3N4 (CNM). It also showed dramatically improved hydrogen evolution rate under visible light irradiation, which was 2105 μmol g−1 h−1, about 6.7 times higher than that of CNM. The excellent photocatalytic activity of CNM-Px samples is due to the synergic advantages of larger surface area and reduced recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes. This study paves the way for tailoring design and synthesis of highly active metal-free carbon nitride materials for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Repeatable Photodynamic Therapy with Triggered Signaling Pathways of Fibroblast Cell Proliferation and Differentiation To Promote Bacteria-Accompanied Wound Healing.

Despite the development of advanced antibacterial materials, bacterial infection is still a serious problem for wound healing because it usually induces severe complications and cannot be eradicated completely. Most current materials cannot simultaneously provide antibacterial activity, reusability, and biocompatibility as well as participate in stimulating cell behaviors to promote bacteria-accompanied wound healing. This work fabricated a hybrid hydrogel embedded with two-dimensional (2D) few-layer black phosphorus nanosheets (BPs) via simple electrostatic interaction. Within 10 min, 98.90% Escherichia coli and 99.51% Staphylococcus aureus can be killed rapidly by this hybrid, due to its powerful ability to produce singlet oxygen (1O2) under simulated visible light. In addition, this hydrogel also shows a high repeatability; that is, the antibacterial efficacy can still reach up to 95.6 and 94.58% against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, even after challenging bacteria up to four times repeatedly. In vitro and in vivo results reveal that BPs in this hybrid hydrogel can promote the formation of the fibrinogen at the early stages during the tissue reconstruction process for accelerated incrustation. In addition, BPs can also trigger phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) signaling pathways for enhanced cellular proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, the hydrogel causes no appreciable abnormalities or damage to major organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney) in rats during the wound healing process. Therefore, this BP-based hydrogel will have great potential as a safe multimodal therapeutic system for active wound healing and sterilization.

Constructing novel Bi2SiO5–Bi2O3 hybrid loaded sepiolite with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Bi2O3 and Bi2SiO5–Bi2O3 hybrid loaded sepiolite photocatalysts were synthesized via chemical precipitation method by tuning ratio of Bi3+ and sepiolite. The samples were characterized and photodegradation of malachite green (MG) under simulated visible light irradiation was employed to investigate their photocatalytic activities. The results showed that Bi2SiO5–Bi2O3 hybrid loaded sepiolite had small and relatively uniform particles, large specific surface area. Moreover, after combining with Bi2SiO5, the hybrid showed more effective charge carrier separation, leading to higher degradation efficiency for MG with high concentration (50 mg/L) contrast to Bi2O3 loaded sepiolite. Last, the photocatalytic mechanism over the hybrid was put forward based on active species trapping study.

Synthesis of a novel narrow-band-gap iron(II,III) oxide/titania/silver silicate nanocomposite as a highly efficient and stable visible light-driven photocatalyst

Ag6Si2O7, a visible light-driven photocatalyst, has attracted considerable attention owing to its enormous environmental remediation potential. In this work, a magnetic iron(II,III) oxide/titania/silver silicate (Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag6Si2O7) nanocomposite was synthesized by anchoring TiO2 and Ag6Si2O7 on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The morphology, crystal structure, as well as the spectroscopic, magnetic, and photocurrent properties of the as-prepared Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag6Si2O7 nanocomposite were studied. Methylene blue (MB) was used for evaluating the photocatalytic performance under simulated visible light. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, total pore volumes, and average pore diameter of the Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag6Si2O7 nanocomposite were calculated to be 33.077 m2/g, 0.099 cm3/g, and 15.45 nm, respectively. The Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag6Si2O7 photocatalyst showed a narrow-band-gap (1.38 eV) while exhibiting excellent photocatalytic performance with a photocurrent of 9.4 µA/cm2 under simulated visible light. Furthermore, the nanocomposites showed high resistance to degradation (i.e., more than 80%) after 5 reaction cycles and as a result of high saturation magnetization (25.51 emu/g), the spent material was easily separated upon application of a magnetic field. Meanwhile, the photogenerated holes (h+) and superoxide ions (O2−) were confirmed as the main active species. This novel photocatalyst is expected to provide a new insight into the design of photocatalysts with excellent recyclability, high performance, and good stability.

Rapid synthesis of rutile TiO2 nano-flowers by dealloying Cu60Ti30Y10 metallic glasses

Abstract The 3D nanostructure rutile TiO 2 photocatalyst was rapidly synthesized by dealloying method using Cu 60 Ti 30 Y 10 amorphous ribbons as precursors. The preparation period was kept down to just 3 h, which is much shorter than those of the samples by dealloying Cu 60 Ti 30 Al 10 , Cu 70 Ti 30 and Cu 60 Ti 30 Sn 10 . The synthesized sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD and XPS reveal the successful synthesis of rutile TiO 2 . The SEM and TEM images show that the synthesized rutile TiO 2 nano-material presents homogeneous distributed 3D nanoflowers structure, which is composed of large quantities of fine rice-like nanorods (40–150 nm in diameter and 100–250 nm in length). BET specific surface areas of the samples were investigated by N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, the fabricated rutile TiO 2 exhibits very high specific surface area (194.08 m 2 /g). The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) dye (10 mg/L) under the irradiation of both simulated visible light (λ > 420 nm) and ultraviolet (UV) light (λ = 365 nm). The results show that the photocatalytic activity of rutile TiO 2 prepared by dealloying Cu 60 Ti 30 Y 10 amorphous ribbons is higher than those of commercial rutile and the sample synthesized by dealloying Cu 70 Ti 30 precursors. The advantages of both short preparation period and superior photocatalytic activity suggest that Cu 60 Ti 30 Y 10 metallic glasses are really a kind of perfect titanium source for rapidly fabricating high efficient TiO 2 nano-materials. In addition, the influence of chemical composition of the amorphous precursors on preparation period of the rutile TiO 2 nano-material was investigated from the point of view of standard electrode potentials.

CdSe nanorod/TiO2 nanoparticle heterojunctions with enhanced solar- and visible-light photocatalytic activity.

CdSe nanorods (NRs) with an average length of ≈120 nm were prepared by a solvothermal process and associated to TiO2 nanoparticles (Aeroxide® P25) by annealing at 300 °C for 1 h. The content of CdSe NRs in CdSe/TiO2 composites was varied from 0.5 to 5 wt %. The CdSe/TiO2 heterostructured materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, XPS, UV–visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. TEM images and XRD patterns show that CdSe NRs with wurtzite structure are associated to TiO2 particles. The UV–visible spectra demonstrate that the narrow bandgap of CdSe NRs serves to increase the photoresponse of CdSe/TiO2 composites until ≈725 nm. The CdSe (2 wt %)/TiO2 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution under simulated sunlight or visible light irradiation. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity likely originates from CdSe sensitization of TiO2 and the heterojunction between these materials which facilitates electron transfer from CdSe to TiO2. Due to its high stability (up to ten reuses without any significant loss in activity), the CdSe/TiO2 heterostructured catalysts show high potential for real water decontamination.

Photodegradation of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [Bmim]Cl via Synergistic Effect of Adsorption–Photodegradation of Fe-TiO2/AC

Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted interest among researchers due to their tunable properties, which enable them to be used in a wide variety of applications. However, toxicity and biodegradation studies of ILs proved that most of the aromatic ILs, such as imidazolium, are highly toxic and non-biodegradable. Researchers have investigated several advance oxidation processes (AOPs) in order to evaluate the efficiency of the systems used to remove ILs from wastewater. However, their relatively high cost and environmental concerns have limited the application of these AOPs in industry. This research conducted a photocatalytic study using hybrid nanomaterials to evaluate the efficiency of this system as an alternative AOP system for the removal of ILs from wastewater. The synergistic effect of adsorption–photodegradation was introduced by depositing Fe-TiO2 onto functionalized activated carbon (AC). Nano-TiO2 was synthesized using the microemulsion method, then modified with a transition metal, and deposited onto oxidized AC. The photodegradation reaction of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [bmim]Cl was then investigated under simulated visible light irradiation. It was observed that the overall efficiency of the system increased with the increasing amount of Fe loading. Our investigation revealed that extrinsic factors such as solution pH, the initial concentration of ILs, and photocatalyst dosage significantly affect the overall efficiency of the system. The optimum condition for the system was observed at pH 10, with initial ILs at 1 mM at 1 g/L of photocatalyst. The best performance photocatalyst was 0.2Fe-TiO2/AC.