Abstract
This work describes the synthesis of Fe-doped mesoporous anatase and brookite polymorphs of TiO2 in the occurrence of P-123 surfactant at varying Fe3+ ions contents (0.5–2%). The photocatalytic performance of the newly synthesized Fe–TiO2 was evaluated for phenol degradation compared to the parent TiO2, commercial P25 and 2%Fe–P25 under the solar simulator. XRD and TEM results illustrated that the construction of TiO2 NPs with brookite and anatase phases and the diameter of 10 nm was achieved. The surface area of 2%Fe–TiO2 NPs (100 m2/g) revealed a large two times compared to that of P25 (50 m2/g). Interestingly, the optimum 2%Fe–TiO2 photocatalyst exhibited complete degradation phenol within 40 min, and it was two times greater than that bare TiO2 and commercial P25 under simulated solar light. The rate constant for degradation of phenol over 2% Fe–TiO2 was enhanced 5.5 and 2.93 folds than that P25 and bare TiO2 NPs. The photocatalytic enhancement performance of Fe–TiO2 photocatalyst was supposedly created from the got better utilization of the visible light range. This is because Fe3+ ions can serve as a transient capturing site for photoinduced hole-electron, which suppressed the charge carriers' recombination and extended their lifetime. Photoelectrochemical measurements such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry were conducted to verify and confirm the photocatalytic performance of the newly synthesized photocatalysts.
•Fe doped Anatase/Brookite biphasic TiO2 was synthesized by sol gel approach.•2%Fe–TiO2 exhibited complete degradation phenol within 40 min under solar light.•It was two times greater than that bare TiO2 and P25 under simulated solar light.•The rate constant over 2% Fe–TiO2 was enhanced 5.5 folds than that P25.•% Fe–TiO2 can be recycled five sequential times without loss in its performance.