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Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by nanostructured Fe/FeS powder under visible light

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Abstract

The photocatalytic performance of mechano-thermally synthesized Fe/FeS nanostructures formed from micron-sized starting materials was compared with that of a thermally synthesized nanostructure with nano-sized precursors in this paper. The properties of as-synthesized materials were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The effects of irradiation time, methylene blue (MB) concentration, catalyst dosage, and pH value upon the degradation of MB were studied. Magnetic properties of the samples showed that both as-synthesized Fe/FeS photocatalysts are magnetically recoverable, eliminating the need for conventional filtration steps. Degradation of 5 ppm of the MB solution by mechano-thermally synthesized Fe/FeS with a photocatalyst dosage of 1 kg/m3 at pH 11 can reach 96% after 12 ks irradiation under visible light. The photocatalytic efficiency is higher in alkaline solution. The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation in both samples is controlled by a first-order reaction. However, the rate-constant value in the thermally synthesized Fe/FeS photocatalyst sample is only 1.5 times greater than that of the mechano-thermally synthesized one.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of University of Tehran for this research. Also, financial support of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, 11155-4563, Iran

    Hassan Esmaili, Amir Kotobi, Saeed Sheibani & Fereshteh Rashchi

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  1. Hassan Esmaili
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Correspondence to Saeed Sheibani.

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Esmaili, H., Kotobi, A., Sheibani, S. et al. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by nanostructured Fe/FeS powder under visible light. Int J Miner Metall Mater 25, 244–252 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-018-1567-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-018-1567-x

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