title: Highly effective Fe-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles photocatalysts for visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation of toxic organic compounds.
abstract: This paper reports the synthesis of various molar concentrations of iron (Fe)-doped TiO2 nanoparticles and their efficient use as potential photocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation of toxic and harmful chemical, paranitrophenol. The nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel and facile ultrasonic assisted hydrothermal method and characterized in detail by various analytical techniques in terms of their morphological, structural, compositional, thermal, optical, pore size distribution, etc properties. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were examined under visible light illumination using para-nitrophenol as target pollutant. By detailed experimental findings revealed that the Fe dopant content crucially determines the catalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles. The maximum degradation rate of para-nitrophenol observed was 92% in 5 h when the Fe(3+) molar concentration was 0.05 mol%, without addition of any oxidizing reagents. The prepared nanoparticles demonstrated excellent photocatalytic response because of their small size, excellent crystalline structure, increase in threshold wavelength response and maximum separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Further, the determination of reaction intermediates has also been carried out and plausible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of para-nitrophenol has been proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Arts, Najran University, P.O. Box-1988, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia; Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices (PCSED), Najran University, P.O. Box-1988, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: ahmadumar786@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Umar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Surinder Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Dr. S.S.B University Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India. Electronic address: sushilkk1@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Sushil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kansal
keywords: Fe doped TiO(2) nanoparticles; Para-nitrophenol; Photocatalyst; Ultrasonic–hydrothermal synthesis