Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of (Fe_2.5Ti_0.5)_1.04O₄/Ti₄O₇ Nanocomposites

Abstract

Due to the increased effect of pollutants in wastewater on the environment, demand for methods to mitigate this has increased in recent years. One such method uses nanocomposites and the effectiveness of examples based on iron-titanium compounds is studied here. The (Fe_2.5Ti_0.5)_1.04O₄/Ti₄O₇ (FTO) nanocomposites were prepared using a hydrothermal synthesis method and three different concentrations of NaOH. The nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDX mapping, FT-IR, and Zeta potential. The sodium persulfate (Ps) was activated by irradiation with a xenon lamp which was used to simulate natural light. At an FTO concentration of 2.5 g/L, FTO : Ps = 1 : 10, and with the solution’s pH 3, the rate at which the activated Ps degraded the water pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) was optimized, and reached 93.17% in 90 min, and 98.12% in 120 min. The FTO provided additional h⁺ and e^– for the photocatalysis of Ps, which promoted it to produce $\bullet {\kern 1pt} {\text{SO}}_{4}^{ - }$, and especially $\bullet {\kern 1pt} {\text{OH}}$, which is the key free radical for the degradation of RhB in the FTO-Ps system.