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Synthesis and characterization of αFe2−x M x O3 (M = Co, Ni, Cu or Zn) photocatalysts for the degradation of the indigo carmine dye in water

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Abstract

If suitably prepared, hematite (αFe2O3)-based materials may be effective photocatalysts under visible light. Doping hematite with cations is assumed to improve the chemical photocatalyst performance of hematite. To check for these effects, the catalytic efficiency under visible radiation of the pure, Co-, Ni-, Cu-, or Zn-doped nanosized hematite samples was tested on the degradation of the indigo carmine dye, as a model molecule to simulate a generic organic substrate. These semiconductors with photocatalyst activity were first characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The most efficient photocalysts for the indigo carmine dye degradation were the Cu- and Zn-doped hematite samples. The relatively higher photocatalytic activity of these two samples are interpreted as being due to their relatively higher ability, among the tested semiconductors, to absorb the visible light, efficient charge separation and e−-transference.

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Acknowledgements

Work supported by FAPEMIG and CNPq (Brazil; including grant # 305755-2013-7). EJM thanks CAPES (Brazil) for sponsoring her MSc studentship at UFVJM. The authors are indebted to Mr Abraão José Silva Viana and Mr José Joaquim de Sá Teles (UFVJM) for their technical assistance on the EDXRF analysis and collection of the powder X-ray diffraction data and to Mr João Batista Santos Barbosa and Mr Tércio Assunção Pedrosa (CDTN) for their technical assistance on obtaining the powder DRX and SEM-EDS data, respectively. JDF is particularly indebted to CAPES (Brazil) for granting his Visiting Professorship at UFVJM under the PVNS program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Campus JK, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Edilailsa Januário de Melo, João Paulo de Mesquita, Edivaldo dos Santos Filho & José Domingos Fabris

  2. Institute of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Campus Mucuri, 39803-371, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Márcio César Pereira

  3. Center of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), 64049-550, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

    Luis Carlos Duarte Cavalcante

  4. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Luis Carlos Duarte Cavalcante, José Domingos Fabris & Luiz Carlos Alves de Oliveira

  5. Center for the Development of the Nuclear Technology (CDTN), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    José Domingos Ardisson

Authors
  1. Edilailsa Januário de Melo
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  2. João Paulo de Mesquita
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  3. Márcio César Pereira
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  4. Luis Carlos Duarte Cavalcante
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  5. Edivaldo dos Santos Filho
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  6. José Domingos Fabris
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  7. José Domingos Ardisson
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  8. Luiz Carlos Alves de Oliveira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Domingos Fabris.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Proceedings of the 15th Latin American Conference on the Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (LACAME 2016), 13-18 November 2016, Panama City, Panama

Edited by Juan A. Jaén

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de Melo, E.J., de Mesquita, J.P., Pereira, M.C. et al. Synthesis and characterization of αFe2−x M x O3 (M = Co, Ni, Cu or Zn) photocatalysts for the degradation of the indigo carmine dye in water. Hyperfine Interact 238, 59 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-017-1429-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-017-1429-3

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