Perovskite LaFeO3/montmorillonite nanocomposites: synthesis, interface characteristics and enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Perovskite LaFeO3/montmorillonite nanocomposites (LaFeO3/MMT) have been successfully prepared via assembling LaFeO3 nanoparticles on the surface of montmorillonite with citric acid assisted sol-gel method. The results indicated that the uniform LaFeO3 nanoparticles were densely deposited onto the surface of montmorillonite, mainly ranging in diameter from 10 nm to 15 nm. The photocatalytic activity of LaFeO3/MMT was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, indicating that LaFeO3/MMT exhibited remarkable adsorption efficiency and excellent photocatalytic activity with the overall removal rate of RhB up to 99.34% after visible light irradiation lasting for 90 min. The interface characteristic and possible degradation mechanism were explored. The interface characterization of LaFeO3/MMT suggested that LaFeO3 nanoparticles could be immobilized on the surface of montmorillonite with the Si-O-Fe bonds. The abundant hydroxyl groups of montmorillonite, semiconductor photocatalysis of LaFeO3 and Fenton-like reaction could enhance the photocatalytic degradation through a synergistic effect. Therefore, the LaFeO3/MMT is a very promising photocatalyst in future industrial application to treat effectively wastewater of dyes.

Montmorillonite‐Supported Iron Oxide for Hydrogen Storage by Chemical Looping

“…As shown in Figure , the MMT diffraction peak clearly occurred at about 2 θ =6.14°, which was similar to the references . The diffraction peaks at 19.74, 21.86, 35.42, 54.02, and 61.94° were ascribed to the main mineral components in MMT.…”

“…The physical structure of MMT is a 2 D sheet‐like phyllosilicate layered structure, which is composed of aluminosilicate layers (see Figure ) . The natural 2 D sheet‐like morphology makes MMT a promising support matrix material for dispersed iron oxide nanoparticles . Additionally, the 2 D sheet‐like structure and strong electrostatic forces between the metal and MMT provide the metal nanoparticles on the surface of MMT with excellent anti‐agglomeration and sintering resistance properties .…”

Hierarchical MoS2 intercalated clay hybrid nanosheets with enhanced catalytic activity

“…Monolayer MMT is composed of a central AlO 4 (OH) 2 octahedral sheet and two SiO 4 tetrahedral sheets connected via shared O atoms, having a total thickness of ~1 nm between the top and bottom O atoms. MMT typically consists of stacked sheets connected via positive ions with a unique combination of swelling, ion exchange, and intercalation, which makes it valuable as a building block for composite materials [20], catalyst supports [21,22], adsorbents of inorganic and organic pollutants [23], templates in organic synthesis [24], and constituents of modified drug-delivery systems [25]. To improve the properties of MMT, the pillaring process is often performed, which involves exchanging the interlayer cations with organic or inorganic cations.…”

Kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of gaseous p‐xylene on UiO‐66‐NH2 and LaFeO3 thin films under combined illumination of ultraviolet and visible lights

“…On FT‐IR spectra of LaFeO 3 (Figure D), Fe–O relaxation oscillation and bending oscillation O─Fe─O, two characteristic oscillations of the octahedral FeO 6 group in LaFeO 3 , appear at 558 and 450 cm −1 , respectively. On the contrary, there is no characteristic peak of oxygen adsorbed on the surface and no oscillation of La─O appears in La 2 O 3 at 3609 cm −1 , showing that the obtained perovskite is free of oxides.…”