Photodegradation has emerged as an environmentally friendly method of decomposing harmful dyes in wastewater. In this study, core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/ TiO2 nanospheres with magnetic cores were obtained from synthesised m...Photodegradation has emerged as an environmentally friendly method of decomposing harmful dyes in wastewater. In this study, core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/ TiO2 nanospheres with magnetic cores were obtained from synthesised magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles through the precipitation method, the surface of the magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles was coated with a silica (SiO2) layer by hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) as a silica source, and finally, Fe3O4/SiO2 nanospheres were coated with titanium (TiO2) layer using tetrabutyltitanate (TBT) as a precursor through the sol-gel process. The morphology and structure of the prepared materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The photocatalytic activities of the prepared core-shell nanospheres were studied using binary azo dyes, namely methyl orange (anionic dye, MO) and methylene blue (cationic dye, MB) in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation (365 nm), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer was utilised to monitor the amount of each dye in the mixture. It was found that 90.2% and 100% of binary MO and MB were removed for 5 h, respectively. The results revealed that the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of the core-shell nanospheres was not degreased after five runs that can be used as recyclable photocatalysts. The results show that the performance of the prepared core-shell nanospheres was better than that of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles. Moreover, the magnetic separation properties of the core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 nanospheres can enable the prepared materials to have wider application prospects.展开更多
The adsorption of mesoporous Fe3O4–SiO2–TiO2(MFST), which can be separated easily from solution by a magnet, for the removal of methyl orange(MO) was investigated. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement sho...The adsorption of mesoporous Fe3O4–SiO2–TiO2(MFST), which can be separated easily from solution by a magnet, for the removal of methyl orange(MO) was investigated. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement shows successful synthesis of MFST with an average pore size of 3.8 nm and a large specific surface area of55 m2·g-1. About 95% adsorption percentage of MO is achieved with an initial concentration of 10 mg·L-1in the dark and the MFST exhibits superior adsorption ability under acid conditions. The adsorption data fit well with the pseudo-second order model for adsorption. After 4 cycles, the adsorption rate for MO remains 74% in the dark and the MFST can be recovered in a magnetic field with a recovery of about 80 %(by mass). It demonstrates that the samples have significant value on applications of wastewater treatment.展开更多
A sol-gel technique has been developed for the synthesis of a magnetite-silica-titania （Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2） tertiary nanocomposite with improved photocatalytic properties based on the use of inexpensive titania and sil...A sol-gel technique has been developed for the synthesis of a magnetite-silica-titania （Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2） tertiary nanocomposite with improved photocatalytic properties based on the use of inexpensive titania and silica precursors. The exceptional photocatalytic activity of the resulting materials was demonstrated by using them to photocatalyze the degradation of methylene blue solution. The best formulation achieved 98% methylene blue degradation. An interesting feature of the present work was the ability to magnetically separate and reuse the catalyst. The efficiency of the catalyst remained high during two reuses. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron micro- scopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectro- scopy, ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. XRD ana- lysis revealed the formation of multicrystalline systems of cubic magnetite and anatase titania crystals. SEM and TEM characterization revealed well-developed and homo- geneously dispersed particles of size less than 15 nm. FTIR spectra confirmed the chemical interaction of titania and silica. It was further noticed that the optical properties of the prepared materials were dependent on the relative contents of their constituent metal oxides.展开更多
文摘Photodegradation has emerged as an environmentally friendly method of decomposing harmful dyes in wastewater. In this study, core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/ TiO2 nanospheres with magnetic cores were obtained from synthesised magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles through the precipitation method, the surface of the magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles was coated with a silica (SiO2) layer by hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) as a silica source, and finally, Fe3O4/SiO2 nanospheres were coated with titanium (TiO2) layer using tetrabutyltitanate (TBT) as a precursor through the sol-gel process. The morphology and structure of the prepared materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The photocatalytic activities of the prepared core-shell nanospheres were studied using binary azo dyes, namely methyl orange (anionic dye, MO) and methylene blue (cationic dye, MB) in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation (365 nm), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer was utilised to monitor the amount of each dye in the mixture. It was found that 90.2% and 100% of binary MO and MB were removed for 5 h, respectively. The results revealed that the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of the core-shell nanospheres was not degreased after five runs that can be used as recyclable photocatalysts. The results show that the performance of the prepared core-shell nanospheres was better than that of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles. Moreover, the magnetic separation properties of the core-shell Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 nanospheres can enable the prepared materials to have wider application prospects.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(2011011013-2)the Youth Foundation of Science and Technology Agency of Shanxi Province,China(2011021020-2)
文摘The adsorption of mesoporous Fe3O4–SiO2–TiO2(MFST), which can be separated easily from solution by a magnet, for the removal of methyl orange(MO) was investigated. The nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement shows successful synthesis of MFST with an average pore size of 3.8 nm and a large specific surface area of55 m2·g-1. About 95% adsorption percentage of MO is achieved with an initial concentration of 10 mg·L-1in the dark and the MFST exhibits superior adsorption ability under acid conditions. The adsorption data fit well with the pseudo-second order model for adsorption. After 4 cycles, the adsorption rate for MO remains 74% in the dark and the MFST can be recovered in a magnetic field with a recovery of about 80 %(by mass). It demonstrates that the samples have significant value on applications of wastewater treatment.
文摘A sol-gel technique has been developed for the synthesis of a magnetite-silica-titania （Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2） tertiary nanocomposite with improved photocatalytic properties based on the use of inexpensive titania and silica precursors. The exceptional photocatalytic activity of the resulting materials was demonstrated by using them to photocatalyze the degradation of methylene blue solution. The best formulation achieved 98% methylene blue degradation. An interesting feature of the present work was the ability to magnetically separate and reuse the catalyst. The efficiency of the catalyst remained high during two reuses. The synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron micro- scopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectro- scopy, ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. XRD ana- lysis revealed the formation of multicrystalline systems of cubic magnetite and anatase titania crystals. SEM and TEM characterization revealed well-developed and homo- geneously dispersed particles of size less than 15 nm. FTIR spectra confirmed the chemical interaction of titania and silica. It was further noticed that the optical properties of the prepared materials were dependent on the relative contents of their constituent metal oxides.
