Photocatalytic behavior of phosphonate-based hybrid materials on dyes and phenols degradation

Abstract

There is increasing interest in using heterogeneous catalysis for mineralization of organic pollutants. Within Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), Photo-Fenton reaction is one of the most efficient methodologies. To date, most of heterogeneous iron catalysts studied was based on oxides or hydroxides. We extend here our previous studies on phenol photodegradation [1] by exploring the photocatalytic activity of various hybrid MII phosphonates (MII = Mn, Fe, Cu) for several organic pollutants. Synthesis conditions, pre-activation, H2O2 concentration, and surface characteristic have been studied/optimized. For dyes, decolouring and mineralization degrees up to 90% and 45%, respectively, were attained. Chemical analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the dynamic character of the photocatalyst surface upon reaction.