Fe-doped TiO2 nanomaterials for water depollution

Abstract The photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants using TiO2 nanomaterials (nanopowders or thin films) is very attractive for applications to environmental protection, as a possible solution for water depollution. TiO2-assisted photocatalysis is an efficient degradation method of nitroaromatic compounds that can be applied for the conversion of toxic pollutants into biodegradable intermediates or for their mineralization, in a wastewater treatment flow. Impurity doping is one of the typical approaches to extend the spectral response of a wide bandgap semiconductor to visible light. Sol-gel undoped and Fe-doped TiO2 samples, with different iron concentration, have been prepared and structurally characterized. The iron addition is responsible for supplementary defects in the crystalline lattice. The relation between structure and photocatalytic activity of the samples (powders and films) has been established. A mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene has been proposed.