Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and phenol on Fe-doped sulfated titania

Abstract

Fe-doped sulfated titania (FST) photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity were prepared from industrial titanyl sulfate solution and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry analysis-differential scanning calorimeter (TGA-DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the FST photocatalyst was evaluated using the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and the photooxidation of phenol in aqueous solutions in the presence of UV irradiation, respectively. The effect of various parameters, such as calcining temperature, calcination time, initial concentration of substrate, amount of catalyst and pH value on the photocatalytic activity of FST photocatalyst was investigated. Among the parameters studied, calcining temperature, initial concentration of substrate, and amount of catalyst have a very similar effect on the activity of FST photocatalyst for both the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, while the others have distinct differences. The optimal calcination conditions were 500°C, 1.5 h and 650°C, 2.5 h; the optimal catalyst concentration were 1.0 and 1.2 g L -1 ; the optimal pH values were 8 and 4 for the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, respectively. In addition, the mechanism for the high photocatalytic efficiency of FST photocatalyst has also been put forward.

Ceramics From Ti-Extraction Blast Furnace Slag and Their Crystalline Phase, Microstructure, and Photocatalytic Performance

“…The roasted TBBFS is composed of phases such as gehlenite, akermanite, diopside, and perovskite, which are favorable to degrade organic dyes and reduce heavy metal ions. Yang et al (2004) applied the roasted TBBFS as the photocatalyst to degrade methylene blue (MB) and found that the degradation efficiency was closely related to the solution's pH, being the highest in the acidic medium. Lei and Xue (2008a) prepared perovskite-type photocatalysts from TBBFS and used them to reduce Cr(VI), showing that the rate of Cr(VI) reduction mainly depends on the perovskite/anatase ratio.…”