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α-Fe2O3-based nanocomposites: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic response towards wastewater treatment

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Abstract

Recently, rising distress over ecological pollution owing to water contamination by coloring effluents primarily due to dyes is of growing concern. The development of semiconductor/magnetic oxide–based nanomaterials has verified to be a potent remediation means for water pollution. In the present article, the fabrication of nanocomposites was carried out by the facile hydrothermal method. The ZnO and ZnSe nanoparticles were in situ formed on the α-Fe2O3 layer, thereby forming a heterojunction. The prepared α-Fe2O3/ZnSe nanocomposite possessed a degradation of 98.9% for a Congo red aqueous solution of 100 ppm. The α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposite showed only 26% degradation of 100 ppm dye solution depicting a poor photocatalytic performance. This is attributed to the formation of recombination-enhanced configuration (type-I heterostructure) in the α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposite (NC). In contrast, α-Fe2O3/ZnSe NC accomplished a higher and enhanced photocatalytic response. The key rationale for elevated photocatalytic response is the establishment of a recombination-free configuration (type-II heterostructure). Thus, α-Fe2O3/ZnSe NC known as one of outstanding nanoparticle-nanocomposite photocatalysts was synthesized under mild conditions exclusive of some multifaceted post-treatment, for dye abatement process.

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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Saqib Ali for help in carrying out some characterization techniques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Key Laboratory for Green Catalysis and Separation, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, People’s Republic of China

    Rooha Khurram & Zhan Wang

  2. Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences (SNS), National University Of Sciences And Technology (NUST), H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Fahad Ehsan

  3. Department of Chemistry, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, NS, B1P 6L2, Canada

    Muhammad Fahad Ehsan

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  1. Rooha Khurram
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  2. Zhan Wang
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Each author took part in the present work conception and/or design. Tasks of data collection, material preparation, data analysis, and writing of the original draft were executed by Rooha Khurram. Zhan Wang and Muhammad Fahad Ehsan design and supervise the experimental work and helped in writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Khurram, R., Wang, Z. & Ehsan, M.F. α-Fe2O3-based nanocomposites: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic response towards wastewater treatment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 17697–17711 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11778-w

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