Recyclable Magnetic Titania Nanocomposite from Ilmenite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

Using ilmenite as a raw material, iron was converted into Fe3O4 magnetic fluid, which further was combined with titanium filtrate by a solvothermal method. Finally Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites with the uniform size of 100–200 nm were prepared. This approach uses rich, inexpensive ilmenite as a titanium and iron source, which effectively reduces the production cost. The crystal structure, chemical properties and morphologies of the products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis, XPS and VSM. The novel photocatalyst composed of face-centered cubic Fe3O4 and body-centered tetragonal anatase–TiO2 exhibits a spherical shape with porous structures, superparamagnetic behavior and strong absorption in the visible light range. Using the degradation reaction of Rhodamine B (RhB) to evaluate the photocatalytic performance, the results suggest that Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities and stability under visible light and solar light. Moreover, the magnetic titania nanocomposites displayed good magnetic response and were recoverable over several cycles. Based on the trapping experiments, the main active species in the photocatalytic reaction were confirmed and the possible photocatalytic mechanism of RhB with magnetic titania was proposed. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability, combined with excellent magnetic recoverability, make the prepared nanocomposite a potential candidate in wastewater purification.

Facile Formation of Anatase/Rutile TiO2 Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

“…Cao et al reported the fabrication of a new type of heterostructure by coupling Sn-doped rutile TiO 2 and N-doped anatase TiO 2 using a sol-gel method, which showed a higher photocatalytic activity than the individual film of Sn-doped rutile TiO 2 and N-doped anatase TiO 2 under both ultraviolet and visible light irradiation [13]; Liu et al reported a synthesis of anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO 2 at relatively low temperature by using a one-step nonaqueous route, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B [1]. Recently, Honget al prepared the Fe 3 O 4 /TiO 2 nanocomposites by using ilmenite as a raw material under solvothermal conditions, which showed higher photocatalytic activity conversion of Rhodamine B into degraded or mineralized products than the best commercially available P25-TiO 2 nanoparticles [14]. Peng et al prepared crystalline anatase/rutile mixed phase Sm-C-TiO 2 catalysts by an ordinary sol-gel method, which showed better photocatalytic activity than undoped TiO 2 and the commercial Degussa P25-TiO 2 for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue [15].…”

Facile fabrication and characterizations of nanostructured Fe2O3-TiO2 composite from Ilmenite ore

“…25 In the FTIR spectrum of ilmenite ore (black curve), the absorption peak at 543.1 cm −1 can be attributed tothe Fe-O bond in the ilmenite (FeTiO3). 26 . A broad absorption peak at around this position was also observed in the FTIR spectrum of the prepared mixed oxides, which indicate the presence of the F-O sketching.…”

Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Activity of a Cordierite-Honeycomb-Supported TiO2 Film with a Liquid–Solid Photoreactor

“…Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is a wide-band-gap semiconductor largely employed in several multisectorial applications due to its interesting functional properties coupled with a high chemical and physical stability, together with low production cost and negligible toxicity [1][2][3]. Under suitable irradiation, TiO 2 behaves as a photocatalyst, generating electron-hole couples able to react with different substrates present at its surface [4][5][6][7]. In particular, in aqueous phase, holes can oxidize water molecules generating OH radicals or directly oxidize adsorbed substrates [8].…”