The photocatalytic performance of Fe inserted in Nb2O5 obtained by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis: Factorial design of experiments

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Ucker, Catia Liane ; Goetzke, Vitor ; Riemke, Fabio Calcagno ; Oliveira, Marcely Echeverria ; Villarreal Carreno, Neftali Lenin ; Dal Pont Morisso, Fernando ; Teodoro, Marcio Daldin ; Mastelaro, Valmor R. ; Moreira, Mario Lucio ; Raubach, Cristiane Wienke ; Cava, Sergio da Silva

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY; v. 435, p. 14-pg., 2023-02-01.

Abstract

Nb2O5 and Fe inserted Nb2O5 from 1 to 3 % were synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The XRD results confirm the presence of Nb2O5 with low crystallinity in all samples, which is characteristic of the material that was not subjected to heat treatment. The SEM images show that the insertion of Nb2O5 with Fe promotes the formation of pores on the surface of the material. The addition of Fe also led to a decrease in the band gap to pure Nb2O5. The photocatalytic performance for the degradation of rhodamine B was evaluated. The 1 %Fe-Nb2O5 sample showed the best photocatalytic discoloration result, achieving 100 % discoloration of RhB within 60 min. The increase in ion concentration leads to a decrease in photocatalytic performance. A 24 factorial design experiment was performed for samples of Nb2O5 and Nb2O5 with 1 %Fe-Nb2O5. The study variables were catalyst type (Nb2O5 and 1 %Fe-Nb2O5), catalyst dosage (25 and 50 mg), pH of the RhB solution (5 and 10), and time of photocatalytic analysis (30 and 60 min) to check the effect on the RhB discoloration. The analysis showed that the change in catalyst, catalyst dosage, pH and reaction time had a significant effect. Most of the interactions between the variables also had a significant effect on the process, both positively and negatively. The diversi-fication of the results of the factorial design, variables, and their interactions allowed us to identify the best execution routes of heterogeneous photocatalysis for the removal of RhB, depending on the parameters used in this work. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC