Effect of Fe Contents in Fe-AC/Tio 2 Composites on Photodegradation Behaviors of Methylene Blue

Activated carbon/TiO₂(AC/TiO₂) composites modified with different concentrations of Fe were prepared. The N₂ adsorption data showed that the composites had decreased surface area compared with the pristine activated carbon. This indicated the blocking of the micropores on the surface of AC, which was further supported by observation via SEM. XRD results showed patterns for the composites and an anatase typed titanium dioxide structure with a small part of rutile in a higher Fe concentration (＞1.0 ㏖/L). EDX results showed the presence of C and, O, with Ti peaks on the composites of Fe-AC/TiO₂ with relatively lower Ti concentration, which may be due to the higher Fe concentration incorporated into the composites. Subsequently, the photocatalytic effects on methylene blue (MB) were investigated. The improved decomposition of MB showed the combined effects of adsorptions and photodegradation. Especially, the composites modified by Fe revealed enhanced photodegradation behaviors of MB.