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MIL-53 (Fe) for constructing hydrogenated Fe3O4@ C@ TiO2 double core-shell nanocrystals as superior bifunctional photocatalyst

Research Authors
Mahmoud R. Saleh, Safinaz M. Thabet, Reem A. El-Gendy, Moushira Saleh, Haitham M. El-Bery
Research Abstract

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising technology to overcome the problems associated with the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Therefore, the design of a reusable dual function photocatalyst has been studied extensively. Herein, MIL-53 (Fe) was used to fabricate Fe3O4@C on which TiO2 was deposited via a sol-gel route to form Fe3O4@C@TiO2 (FCT) double core-shell nanocomposite. Thermal treatment effect on photocatalytic activity under different atmospheres (air, argon and hydrogen) has been investigated. Then, the temperature was optimized (300-400 °C) under hydrogen atmosphere. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performance of the prepared composite on Rose Bengal (RB) dye degradation and hydrogen generation via water-splitting has been evaluated. The FCT sample treated at 350 °C in H2-atmosphere (FCT/H350) showed significant improvement in photodecomposition of 100 ppm of RB which completely disappeared within 40 min of the reaction. The apparent rate constant of FCT/H350 was 8.71 × 10−2 min−1, which is 4-folds faster than that of bare-TiO2. Moreover, the FCT/H350 exhibited an initial hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of 1593 µmol·g−1·h−1. Spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements were conducted to investigate the possible photocatalytic mechanism and photogenerated charge carriers pathway. This study aims to develop a magnetically separable, high-performance, and bifunctional catalyst for photocatalytic applications.

Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Rank
Q2
Research Vol
432
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1010603022003501
Research Year
2022
Research Pages
114125