Visible light activity of BaFe_1-xCu_xO_3-δ as photocatalyst for atrazine degradation

Nanosized BaFe_1-xCu_xO₃ powders were prepared using the Pechini method. To limit grain growth and agglomeration, the temperature of calcination was limited to 800 °C. For all samples, the cubic form of BaFeO_2.75 was predominant with minor additional phases. Cu doping was found to have a remarkable effect on the structural cubic unit cell parameter as the Cu concentration increased. As shown by XRD,the samples were in the nanometer size range (17-63 nm). However, as the Cu concentration increases, the agglomeration increases with the highest surface area for the BaFe_0.95Cu_0.05O₃ composition, which also displays the highest photocatalytic atrazine degradation. For this sample, more than 90% degradation of atrazine was obtained at the optimum conditions (120 min irradiation under visible light at pH 11 using 0.75 mg of the catalyst). The Atrazine degradation was found to follow the pseudo-order kinetics. GC/MS was used to detect the intermediates and the reaction pathways. All the prepared samples and produced waters at the end of the experiment were found to be nontoxic.