Preparation of Zn-TiO₂/RH/Fe₃O₄ composite material and its photocatalytic degradation for the dyes in wastewater

Abstract

A versatile Zn-TiO₂/RH/Fe₃O₄ ternary composite material on the basis of rice hull was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer analysis. Its ability to photocatalytically remove Rhodamine B (RhB) in wastewater was investigated in a photochemical reactor by means of ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry and FT-IR. Research results show that the catalytic degradation rate of RhB from aqueous solution is close to 100% when using synthesized Zn-TiO₂/RH/Fe₃O₄ as a catalyst under irradiation of visible light for 120 min. The as-prepared visible light-driven photocatalyst Zn-TiO₂/RH/Fe₃O₄ material has high performance with excellent recyclability, magnetic separation feature, and photocatalysis activity in wastewater treatment.

Keywords:

• Rice hull (RH)
• Composite material
• Rhodamine B (RhB)
• Photocatalyst
• Degradation

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant number 61301048 and the Foundation of Engineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of the Ministry of Education under Grant No. GUGNGM201207.