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Novel Fe2TiO5/reduced graphene oxide heterojunction photocatalyst with improved adsorption capacity and visible light photoactivity: experimental and DFT approach

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Abstract

The design of high-efficiency materials is a major challenge for the degradation of organic pollutants. In this work, type II p-n heterojunction photocatalyst Fe2TiO5/rGO, with enhanced performance, was successfully prepared through simple process. The Fe2TiO5/rGO composites were prepared by hosting several amounts of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into pseudobrookite nanocrystals (Fe2TiO5) which were priorly synthesized by a solid-state reaction. The morphology and the properties of the as-prepared composites were characterized through different techniques. The fixation of rGO sheets on Fe2TiO5 was proved using the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed a good mixing of rGO with Fe2TiO5. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) confirmed the purity of the pristine Fe2TiO5. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) illustrated a strong tendency to aggregation. Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) analysis was performed to characterize the electronic aspect as the gap and the Urbach energies. Finally, computational density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to confirm the experimental results. The adsorptive and photoactivity of Fe2TiO5/rGO heterojunction photocatalysts were evaluated by methylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light irradiation. The highest MB degradation rate was achieved for Fe2TiO5/rGO10% photocatalyst with the highest value of the elimination rate.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Directorate General for Scientific Research and Technological Development (DGRSDT) of Algeria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Génie des Procédés, Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés Chimiques, Faculté de Technologie, Université Ferhat Abbas Setif 1, 19000, Setif, Algeria

    Mohamed K. Guediri, Derradji Chebli & Abdallah Bouguettoucha

  2. Emergent Materials Research Unit, Ferhat Abbas University Setif 1, 19000, Setif, Algeria

    Riadh Bourzami

  3. Univ Rennes, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes CNRS, ISCR – UMR6226, F-35000, Rennes, France

    Abdeltif Amrane

Authors
  1. Mohamed K. Guediri
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  2. Derradji Chebli
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  3. Abdallah Bouguettoucha
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  4. Riadh Bourzami
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  5. Abdeltif Amrane
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Contributions

MKG prepared the samples, RB characterized these samples, DC and AB wrote the article, and AA purchased the chemicals and also corrected the article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Abdallah Bouguettoucha.

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Guediri, M.K., Chebli, D., Bouguettoucha, A. et al. Novel Fe2TiO5/reduced graphene oxide heterojunction photocatalyst with improved adsorption capacity and visible light photoactivity: experimental and DFT approach. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 8507–8519 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11221-0

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