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Photo-electrochemical Characterization of the Spinel CuFe2O4: Application to Ni2+ Removal under Solar Light

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Abstract

The spinel CuFe2O4, prepared by nitrate route, is successfully tested for Ni2+ reduction under solar light. CuFe2O4 is a narrow band gap semiconductor with a direct optical transition at 1.66 eV. The electro-kinetic parameters indicate a good electrochemical stability with a high O2-over voltage. The energy diagram shows the feasibility of CuFe2O4 for Ni2+ deposition under illumination. At pH ~ 7, the conduction band (−1.22 V SCE ) is located below the Ni2+ level (−0.60 V SCE ), leading to a spontaneous nickel reduction under solar light. The charge transfer is mediated via TiO2. The photocatalytic performance is optimized with respect to the Ni2+ concentration and the catalyst dose. 72 % of Ni2+ (30 ppm) are reduced after ~5 h of exposure to sunlight (115 mW cm−2) on the hetero-system CuFe2O4/TiO2 (mass ratio = 1/1). The photochemical hydrogen evolution, an issue of energy concern, occurs competitively on ultra fine Ni aggregates. The improved performance {0.43 cm3 mn−1 (g catalyst)−1} is due to intimate contact of Ni/TiO2 and low over-voltage on nickel clusters.

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Notes

  1. Measured with a capacimeter (G w Instek LCR-819) at a fixed frequency 10 kHz.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. A. Hadibi for technical assistance and Dr. M. Kebir for UV-Visible measurements. They are grateful to the Faculty of Chemistry for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Storage and Valorization of Renewable Energies, University of Science and Technology (USTHB), 16111, Algiers, BP 32, Algeria

    M. Fedailaine, B. Bellal, M. Trari & A. Abdi

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  1. M. Fedailaine
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  2. B. Bellal
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  3. S. Berkani
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  4. M. Trari
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  5. A. Abdi
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Correspondence to M. Trari.

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Fedailaine, M., Bellal, B., Berkani, S. et al. Photo-electrochemical Characterization of the Spinel CuFe2O4: Application to Ni2+ Removal under Solar Light. Environ. Process. 3, 387–396 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-016-0142-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-016-0142-6

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