Manel Machreki (Author), Takwa Chouki (Author), Mitja Martelanc (Author), Lorena Butinar (Author), Branka Mozetič Vodopivec (Author), Saim Emin (Author)

Abstract

A novel method was developed for the preparation of porous hematite (α-Fe2O3) thin films. First, a solution containing iron precursor was spin-coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate and later short heat-treated at 750 °C. The prepared α-Fe2O3 thin films were applied as dual-function catalyst in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation and textile dye degradation studies. For the first time, α-Fe2O3 thin films were used in efficient PEC degradation of a textile dye (Basic Blue 41 – B41) using in-situ generated reactive chlorine species. In comparison with photocatalytic and electrocatalytic approaches, the PEC technique allows faster degradation of B41 dye at an applied bias potential of 1.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and under visible light illumination. In the presence of Cl− using the PEC approach the degradation of B41 reaches 99.8%. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV–VIS system confirmed the degradation of B41 dye using PEC. Gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to study the by-products obtained during PEC degradation. Chemical oxygen demand analyses confirmed that the mineralization level of B41 is in the order of 68%. The α-Fe2O3 films developed in this study give a higher level of PEC degradation efficiency compared to other iron oxide-based systems.

Keywords

thin films;photoelectrocatalysis;kinetics;visible light;degradation;textile dye;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization: UNG - University of Nova Gorica
UDC: 54
COBISS: 62466051 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 2213-3437
Views: 1527
Downloads: 9
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Other data

URN: URN:SI:UNG
Pages: str. 1-12
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ9
Issue: ǂno. ǂ4
Chronology: Aug. 2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2021.105495
ID: 12879236