Fe2O3-pillared rectorite as an efficient and stable Fenton-like heterogeneous catalyst for photodegradation of organic contaminants.
An efficient Fe(2)O(3)-pillared rectorite (Fe-R) clay was successfully developed as a heterogeneous catalyst for photo-Fenton degradation of organic contaminants. X-ray diffraction analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscope analysis clearly showed the existence of the Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles in the Fe-R catalyst. The catalytic activity of the Fe-R catalyst was evaluated by the discoloration and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of an azo-dye rhodamine B (RhB, 100 mg/L) and a typical persistent organic pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NP, 50 mg/L) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) under visible light irradiation (lambda > 420 nm). It was found that the discoloration rate of the two contaminants was over 99.3%, and the COD removal rate of the two contaminants was over 87.0%. The Fe-R catalyst showed strong adsorbability for the RhB in the aqueous solution. Moreover, the Fe-R catalyst still showed good stability for the degradation of RhB after five recycles. Zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the photoreaction processes. Finally, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed.
Zhang
Gaoke
G
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan 430070, PR China. gkzhang@whut.edu.cn
Gao
Yuanyuan
Y
Zhang
Yalei
Y
Guo
Yadan
Y
D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003116:Color; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000737:chemistry; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; C045076:Fenton's reagent; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D009596:Nitrophenols; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012235:Rhodamines; C546376:rectorite; C000499:ferric oxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; C029773:rhodamine B; D010100:Oxygen; C024836:4-nitrophenol