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Ionic liquid/TiO2 nanoparticles doped with non-expensive metals: new active catalyst for phenol photodegradation
Daiane Kessler Fischer1, Karina Rodrigues de Fraga1, Carla Weber Scheeren1
1Laboratory of Catalysis and Nanomaterials, School of Chemistry and Food, Federal University of Rio Grande-FURG Rua Barão do Caí, 125 CEP 95500-000 Santo Antônio da Patrulha RS Brazil carlascheeren@gmail.com.
Synthesized novel titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles doped with copper (Cu2+) and iron (Fe3+) using an ionic liquid demonstrated high efficiency in degrading phenol. These metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles show promise for industrial wastewater treatment applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Environmental Chemistry
Background:
- Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely studied photocatalyst.
- Developing efficient and cost-effective photocatalysts is crucial for environmental remediation.
- Ionic liquids offer unique properties for nanomaterial synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel TiO2 nanoparticles doped with Cu2+ and Fe3+ using BMI·BF4 ionic liquid.
- To evaluate the photocatalytic activity of these doped nanoparticles for phenol degradation.
- To assess the performance of the photocatalysts in treating industrial wastewater.
Main Methods:
- Sol-gel synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles doped with Cu2+ and Fe3+ using 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI·BF4) ionic liquid.
- Characterization using SEM/EDS, TEM, BET, FTIR, XRD, and DRS.
- Photocatalytic degradation of phenol under UV/visible irradiation, quantified by HPLC-FLD.
- Wastewater treatment evaluation using industrial wastewater from the tobacco industry.
Main Results:
- XRD analysis revealed anatase and rutile phases in the synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles.
- SEM/TEM confirmed spherical nanoparticles with mean diameters of 20-22 nm.
- BET analysis indicated high porosity with pore diameters between 12-16 nm and surface areas of 55-63 m2 g-1.
- Energy band gaps were determined to be 3.1 eV (undoped), 3.32 eV (Fe3+), and 2.78 eV (Cu2+).
- Cu2+ and Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles achieved 99.9% and 96.8% phenol degradation, respectively.
- A 56.7% phenol degradation was observed in tobacco industry wastewater.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized Cu2+ and Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation.
- The use of BMI·BF4 ionic liquid facilitates the synthesis of porous, doped TiO2 nanomaterials.
- These photocatalysts show potential for application in treating industrial wastewater, though matrix complexity can affect efficiency.
