PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF A CATIONIC DYE "METHLYENE BLUE" USING Fe2O3 AND TiO2 BENTONITE PILLARED NANOCOMPOSITE

Abstract

Bentonite pillared nanocomposite clay based on Fe, Al, Fe-Al and Ti were prepared and characterized via XRD, XRF and FTIR to be used as photocatalytsts for the degradation (discoloration) of methlyene blue dye (MB) using visible irradiation range 300-800 nm since MB is a dye sensitizer excitable by the visible light. In this work, the application of the advanced oxidation process (AOP), including H 2 O 2 incorporation in the photoirradiated solution was applied. The optimum concentration of H 2 O 2 was 0.3 mmol l-l. The results show that the current pillared clays, except for the Aluminum-pillared-clay, exhibited significant photoactivities. However, insertion of Fe pillars in the spaces between the bentonite clay layers has resulted in the highest activity for discolorizing the dye solution. Impregnating Fe(NO 3 ) 3 in Al-pillared clay to attain the same Fe content in Fe-Al pillared clay gives, even, a high photo-activity due to distribution of Fe sites in the voids among the Al pillars in the form of isolated sites in the catalyst. First order kinetic rate constants were calculated to acquire justifiable comparisons of the photocatalytic activities for MB discoloration.