Layered double hydroxides as efficient photocatalysts for visible-light degradation of Rhodamine B.

A series of Zn/M-NO3-LDHs (M=Al, Fe, Ti, and Fe/Ti) have been synthesized by two different methods, and their activities for visible-light photocatalytic degradation on Rhodamine B (RB) were tested. Solids were analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, and ICP characterization, confirming the formation of pure LDH phase with good crystal structure. It was observed that the band gap of these nitrate LDH materials was following this order: Zn/Fe-NO3-LDHs (2.55 eV)>Zn/Fe/Ti-NO3-LDHs (2.88 eV)>Zn/Ti-NO3-LDHs (3.0 3eV)>Zn/Al-NO3-LDHs (3.23 eV); however, the degradation performance of RB by four materials followed the order: Zn/Ti-NO3-LDHs (98%)>Zn/Al-NO3-LDHs (96%)>Zn/Fe/Ti-NO3-LDHs (88%)>Zn/Fe-NO3-LDHs (72%). In addition, a possible mechanism for photocatalytic degradation on RB has also been presumed. Moreover, after three regeneration cycles, the percentage of RB degradation rate was still close to 90%.

Treatment of methyl orange by calcined layered double hydroxides in aqueous solution: adsorption property and kinetic studies.

Adsorption of a weak acid dye, methyl orange (MO) by calcined layered double hydroxides (LDO) with Zn/Al molar ratio of 3:1 was investigated. In the light of so called "memory effect," LDO was found to recover their original layered structure in the presence of appropriate anions, after adsorption part of MO(-) and CO(2-)(3) (come from air) intercalated into the interlayer of LDH which had been supported by XRD and ICP. The results of adsorption experiments indicate that the maximum capacity of MO at equilibrium (Q(e)) and percentage of adsorption (eta%) with a fixed adsorbent dose of 0.5 g L(-1) were found to be 181.9 mg g(-1) and 90.95%, respectively, when MO concentration, temperature, pH and equilibrium time were 100 mg L(-1), 298 K, 6.0 and 120 min, respectively. The isotherms showed that the adsorption of MO by Zn/Al-LDO was both consistent with Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature and followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The calculated value of E(a) was found to be 77.1 kJ mol(-1), which suggests that the process of adsorption of methyl orange is controlled by the rate of reaction rather than diffusion. The possible mechanism for MO adsorption has also been presumed. In addition, the competitive anions on adsorption and the regeneration of Zn/Al-LDO have also been investigated.