Template-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis of β-FeOOH Nanorods and Their Catalytic Activity in the Degradation of Methyl Orange by a Photo-Fenton-Like Process

Zhihui Xu, Jianru Liang, Lixiang Zhou

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

DOI: 10.4236/ojinm.2013.34010                

Abstract

The rod-shaped form of crystalline β-FeOOH (akaganeite) was prepared by the template-free hydrothermal method with urea as the homogeneous precipitant. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectrum were used to characterize the resulting products. The degradation of methyl orange (MO) was studied using the prepared nanostructure materials in a photo-Fenton-like process. MO degradation was effectively achieved by hydroxyl radicals that were generated in the heterogeneous catalysis process. Specific surface area of the prepared β-FeOOH was an important factor affecting the efficiency of MO degradation, which depended on the synthesis conditions such as the reaction temperature, the initial concentration of urea and FeCl_3.6H₂O as well as the n(urea)/n(Fe³⁺) ratio. The photodegradation efficiencies slightly decreased with the increase of initial pH in the range of 4.5 - 9.5, which indicated the prepared β-FeOOH catalyst can well overcome the drawback of a narrow pH range of homogeneous Fenton reaction. β-FeOOH catalysts loading and H₂O₂ concentration also play important effect on the degradation efficiency of MO. The prepared β-FeOOH showed good ability of reuse for multiple trials.

Keywords

β-FeOOH; Heterogeneous; Photocatalysis; Fenton Reaction; Template-Free Hydrothermal Synthesis

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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