Sonocatalytic degradation and catalytic activities for MB solution of Fe treated fullerene/TiO2 composite with different ultrasonic intensity

Fe-fullerene/TiO2 composite catalysts were prepared with titanium (IV) n-butoxide (TNB) by a sol-gel method. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), specific surface area (BET), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The catalytic activities were evaluated by the catalytic oxidation of methylene blue (MB) solution. XRD patterns of the composites showed that the Fe-fullerene/TiO2 composite contained a typical single and clear anatase phase. The surface properties shown by SEM present a characterization of the texture on Fe-fullerene/TiO2 composites and showed a homogenous composition in the particles for the titanium sources used. The EDX spectra for the elemental identification showed the presence of C and Ti with strong Fe peaks for the Fe-fullerene/TiO2 composite. The degradation of MB solution by ultrasonic irradiation in the presence of Fe-fullerene/TiO2 compounds was investigated in complete darkness. With the increase in the amount of Fe, the degradation rate of methylene blue solution also increased. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.