Fabrication of Naturally Derived Chitosan and Ilmenite Sand-Based TiO/FeO/Fe-N-Doped Graphitic Carbon Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue under Sunlight.
Amavin Mendis: Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka.
Charitha Thambiliyagodage: Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka. ORCID
Geethma Ekanayake: Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka.
Heshan Liyanaarachchi: Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka. ORCID
Madara Jayanetti: Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka.
Saravanamuthu Vigneswaran: Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
Fabrication of chitosan and ilmenite sand-based novel photocatalysts through the catalytic graphitization of chitosan is reported. Nanocomposites consisted of TiO, FeO and Fe nanoparticles dispersed on a nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon framework. The surface area, pore volume and macropore structure of the carbon matrix is disturbed by the heterogeneously distributed nanoparticles. The extent of graphitization expanded with increasing metal loading as indicated by variation in the / ratio. The nanomaterial's surface consists of Fe and Ti, and graphitic, pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen were found in the carbon matrix. The band gap values of the composites varied in the 2.06-2.26 eV range. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanomaterials was determined, and the highest rate constant for the photodegradation of methylene blue under sunlight was 4.4 × 10 min, which resulted with 10 mg/L MB and 25 mg of the best-performing catalyst. The rate constant rose with increasing concentrations of persulfate added to the medium. The rate constant greatly diminished with the addition of isopropyl alcohol as it scavenged hydroxyl radicals. The presence of co-pollutants including Pb, rhodamine B, PO and Cl curtailed the rate of reaction. The activity reduced with an increasing number of uses of the catalyst.
