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Light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) as a support for TiO2, Fe/TiO2, and Cu/TiO2 nanocrystalline photocatalysts: a comparative study on the structure, morphology, and activity

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Abstract

In this work, TiO2 and doped TiO2 photocatalysts (Fe/TiO2 and Cu/TiO2) were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dopants on the structure, morphology, and activity of the catalysts in powder and immobilized states. XRF, XRD, and SEM methods were used to characterize the catalysts. The structure and phase distribution of the nanocrystalline powders were identified by XRD. Nanoparticles crystallite size and the degree of crystallinity were affected by doping. The anatase contents of catalysts were achieved as follows: TiO2 (5.89 %) < Fe/TiO2 (42.17 %) < Cu/TiO2 (70.28 %). It was indicated that the activity of the catalysts strongly depends on the anatase content. Under the same circumstances, copper-modified TiO2 exhibited a twofold higher photocatalytic activity compared with TiO2. The nanostructured catalysts were immobilized on light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) granules in order to investigate the effect of a novel support on the activity of the catalysts. Morphological changes are recognizable in the SEM images. Activity tests indicated that the best catalytic performance was assigned to Cu/TiO2/LECA. After 120 min of irradiation, 61 % degradation of phenol in synthetic wastewater was achieved. The high photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO2/LECA confirms that LECA is as an excellent support.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support from University of Kurdistan is gratefully acknowledged. In addition, the authors would like to thank “Dr. Sharam Sharifnia, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty Engineering, Razi University, for providing LECA” and “Mr. Mohamad Rahmani, Forest Biology Laboratory instructor and supervisor of the Department of Natural Resources of University of Kurdistan, for his kind cooperation.”

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

    Somayeh Sohrabi & Faranak Akhlaghian

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  1. Somayeh Sohrabi
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Correspondence to Somayeh Sohrabi.

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Sohrabi, S., Akhlaghian, F. Light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) as a support for TiO2, Fe/TiO2, and Cu/TiO2 nanocrystalline photocatalysts: a comparative study on the structure, morphology, and activity. J IRAN CHEM SOC 13, 1785–1796 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-016-0896-9

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