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Magnetically separable WO3/CuFe2O4 composite for visible light induced photoreduction of Cr(VI)

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for catalytic, photoelectrochemical and sensor applications
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Abstract

The introduction of hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) through water sources can cause serious damage to humans and other organisms. Hence, the removal of toxic Cr(VI) ions from the water environment is of great importance in the field of wastewater treatment. In this study, the Cr(VI) removal was performed through the photoreduction technique. Because of its tunable optical band gap, tungsten oxide (WO3), which can be driven by the visible light, was selected as the photocatalyst. To enhance the effective separation of the photoinduced charge carriers, WO3 was coupled with a magnetic semiconductor, copper ferrite (CuFe2O4). A co-precipitation technique was used to synthesize WO3 in nanoparticle form and the as-prepared WO3 nanoparticles were used to prepare WO3/CuFe2O4 composites through an auto-combustion sol-gel technique. When WO3 was coupled with CuFe2O4, the Cr(VI) photoreduction efficiency was enhanced from 23.9% to 60.0% within 120 min of visible light irradiation. The Cr(VI) photoreduction performance of the WO3/CuFe2O4 composite was studied under various conditions also. Within this scope, the initial pH, ion concentration and photocatalyst concentration of the Cr(VI) solution was investigated. The effect of competing substances in a real wastewater sample on the Cr(VI) photoreduction activity was also studied. To understand the Cr(VI) photoreduction mechanism, electron-hole scavengers were used. Based on the trapping experiment, photoinduced electrons of both semiconductors contributed as the main active species in the Cr(VI) photoreduction process. According to reusability experiment, the Cr(VI) removal rate of the composite sample reduced from 60.0% to 47.2% after four consecutive photoreduction cycles.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

  • Magnetic composite photocatalyst in nanoparticle size was obtained.

  • Coupling WO3 with CuFe2O4 suppressed the recombination rate on WO3.

  • Coupling WO3 with CuFe2O4 enhanced the Cr(VI) removal rate of WO3 by almost 36%.

  • Competing substances in the real wastewater environment suppressed the Cr(VI) photoreduction efficiency by almost 9%.

  • The photoinduced electrons were the main active species in the Cr(VI) photoreduction process.

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Funding

This research has been supported by Kirsehir Ahi Evran University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit. Project Number: MMF.A4.23.002, 2023.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Kirsehir Ahi Evran University, Kirsehir, 40100, Turkey

    Hafize Nagehan Koysuren

  2. Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Ankara University, Ankara, 06830, Turkey

    Ozcan Koysuren

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  1. Hafize Nagehan Koysuren
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Hafize Nagehan Koysuren and Ozcan Koysuren.

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Correspondence to Hafize Nagehan Koysuren.

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Koysuren, H.N., Koysuren, O. Magnetically separable WO3/CuFe2O4 composite for visible light induced photoreduction of Cr(VI). J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 107, 671–684 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06163-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06163-1

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