Lanthanum/titanium dioxide immobilized onto industrial waste with enhanced photocatalytic activity, and the degradation of dimethyl phthalate

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129014
• Publication Date: 2021-09-11T20:00:30Z
• Authors: Yi Chen; Mengjia Ran; Ziyan Zhou; Xinyi Han; Honglin Zhu; Jinchuan Gu
• Keywords: Titanium Dioxide; Lanthanum; Degradation; Dimethyl phthalate; Ultraviolet

Abstract Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an effective photocatalyst for organic removal. However, its efficacy is hampered by the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. This paper presented an eco-friendly, synthetic lanthanum (La)/TiO2 supported on lithium silicon powder (L) to significantly improve photocatalysis. The results showed that 74.4% dimethyl phthalate (DMP) removal was achieved in the ultraviolet (UV)-La-TiO2/L (LTL1) system, which was considerably higher than UV-TiO2/L (TL) (60.1%) and UV-L (18.3%). The enhanced LTL1 photocatalysis was based on the synergic effect between TiO2 and La with L matrix. The photocatalysis efficiency was further improved by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), while the DMP removal rate reached 100% in the UV-LTL1-H2O2 system. The DMP activation mechanisms and degradation pathways in the UV-LTL1-H2O2 system were carefully examined, revealing that increased hydroxyl free radical (OH•) and superoxide ion radicals (O2−•) were pivotal to the higher degradation rate. Overall, the findings suggested that LTL1 showed considerable application promise for the low-cost and eco-friendly organic removal from water.