Fabrication of r-GO/GO/α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 Nanocomposite Using Natural Ilmenite and Graphite for Efficient Photocatalysis in Visible Light.

Usgodaarachchi, L; Jayanetti, M; Thambiliyagodage, C; Liyanaarachchi, H; Vigneswaran, S

Fabrication of r-GO/GO/α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 Nanocomposite Using Natural Ilmenite and Graphite for Efficient Photocatalysis in Visible Light.

Usgodaarachchi, L Jayanetti, M Thambiliyagodage, C Liyanaarachchi, H Vigneswaran, S

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Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Materials (Basel), 2022, 16, (1), pp. 139
Issue Date:: 2022-12-23

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Usgodaarachchi, L
dc.contributor.author	Jayanetti, M
dc.contributor.author	Thambiliyagodage, C
dc.contributor.author	Liyanaarachchi, H
dc.contributor.author	Vigneswaran, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8117-4322
dc.date.accessioned	2023-04-13T00:02:33Z
dc.date.available	2022-12-21
dc.date.available	2023-04-13T00:02:33Z
dc.date.issued	2022-12-23
dc.identifier.citation	Materials (Basel), 2022, 16, (1), pp. 139
dc.identifier.issn	1996-1944
dc.identifier.issn	1996-1944
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/169696
dc.description.abstract	Hematite (α-Fe2O3) and pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) suffer from poor charge transport and a high recombination effect under visible light irradiation. This study investigates the design and production of a 2D graphene-like r-GO/GO coupled α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 heterojunction composite with better charge separation. It uses a simple sonochemical and hydrothermal approach followed by L-ascorbic acid chemical reduction pathway. The advantageous band offset of the α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 (TF) nanocomposite between α-Fe2O3 and Fe2TiO5 forms a Type-II heterojunction at the Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 interface, which efficiently promotes electron-hole separation. Importantly, very corrosive acid leachate resulting from the hydrochloric acid leaching of ilmenite sand, was successfully exploited to fabricate α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 heterojunction. In this paper, a straightforward synthesis strategy was employed to create 2D graphene-like reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) from Ceylon graphite. The two-step process comprises oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide (GO) using the improved Hummer's method, followed by controlled reduction of GO to r-GO using L-ascorbic acid. Before the reduction of GO to the r-GO, the surface of TF heterojunction was coupled with GO and was allowed for the controlled L-ascorbic acid reduction to yield r-GO/GO/α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposite. Under visible light illumination, the photocatalytic performance of the 30% GO/TF loaded composite material greatly improved (1240 Wcm-2). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) examined the morphological characteristics of fabricated composites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) served to analyze the structural features of the produced composites.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Materials (Basel)
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/ma16010139
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	03 Chemical Sciences, 09 Engineering
dc.title	Fabrication of r-GO/GO/α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 Nanocomposite Using Natural Ilmenite and Graphite for Efficient Photocatalysis in Visible Light.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	16
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
utslib.for	03 Chemical Sciences
utslib.for	09 Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-04-13T00:02:26Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	16
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) and pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) suffer from poor charge transport and a high recombination effect under visible light irradiation. This study investigates the design and production of a 2D graphene-like r-GO/GO coupled α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 heterojunction composite with better charge separation. It uses a simple sonochemical and hydrothermal approach followed by L-ascorbic acid chemical reduction pathway. The advantageous band offset of the α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 (TF) nanocomposite between α-Fe2O3 and Fe2TiO5 forms a Type-II heterojunction at the Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 interface, which efficiently promotes electron-hole separation. Importantly, very corrosive acid leachate resulting from the hydrochloric acid leaching of ilmenite sand, was successfully exploited to fabricate α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 heterojunction. In this paper, a straightforward synthesis strategy was employed to create 2D graphene-like reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) from Ceylon graphite. The two-step process comprises oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide (GO) using the improved Hummer's method, followed by controlled reduction of GO to r-GO using L-ascorbic acid. Before the reduction of GO to the r-GO, the surface of TF heterojunction was coupled with GO and was allowed for the controlled L-ascorbic acid reduction to yield r-GO/GO/α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 nanocomposite. Under visible light illumination, the photocatalytic performance of the 30% GO/TF loaded composite material greatly improved (1240 Wcm-2). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) examined the morphological characteristics of fabricated composites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) served to analyze the structural features of the produced composites.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/169696