The effect of pH on visible-light photocatalytic properties of pseudobrookite nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) nanoparticles were fabricated by a modified sol-gel method using Fe(NO3)39H2O and Ti(OC3H7)4 as starting reagents and ethanol as solvent. Oxalic acid was used as a chelating agent while cetyltrimethyammonium bromide (CTAB) and citric monohydrate were used as surfactants. Structral and morphological characterization using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis confirmed the formation of pseudobrookite nanoparticles. As synthetized Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles were utilized as photocatalysts for decolorisation of Methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. It was observed that the adsorption of MB onto Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles is strongly dependent on the solution pH. Maximum decolorozation was observed for Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles prepared with CTAB under alcaline conditions (pH=10.5).