Highly efficient visible light active iron oxide-based photocatalysts for both hydrogen production and dye degradation
Preethi Vijayarengan, Sri Chandana Panchangam, Ananth Stephen, Gokulanandhan Bernatsha, Gokul Krishnan Murali, Subramanyam Sarma Loka, Sathish Kumar Manoharan, V. Venkatramu, Rama Rao Karri, Gobinath Ravindran
Abstract
Photocatalysis is essential for wastewater cleanup and clean energy, and in this current study, we have synthesized nanomaterials (iron oxide-based) for photocatalytic pollution degradation and hydrogen production. The performance of aluminium oxide/ferric oxide (Al 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 ), samarium oxide/ferric oxide (Sm 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 ) and yttrium oxide/ferric oxide (Y 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 ) were compared for the production of hydrogen (H 2 ) and degradation of dye under natural sunlight. Various characterisation equipment was used to characterize these photocatalysts’ structure, morphology, elemental content, binding energy and band gap. The hydrogen recovery efficiency of iron oxide-based photocatalysts from sulphide-containing wastewater is assessed. Y 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 has shown the highest hydrogen production of 340 mL/h. The influence of operating factors such as sulphide ion concentration, catalyst quantity, and photocatalyst photolytic solution volume on hydrogen production is studied. The optimal values were 0.25 M, 0.2 g/L, and 1L, respectively. The developed photocatalyst passed multiple cycles of stability testing. Fe 2 O 3 has shown the highest Rhodamine B (RhB) dye degradation efficiency of 94% under visible light.