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Photocatalytic visible-light-driven removal of the herbicide imazapyer using nanocomposites based on mesoporous TiO2 modified with Gd2O3

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Abstract

In this work, mesoporous Gd2O3-TiO2 nanocomposites synthetized by a sol–gel with vary Gd2O3 concentration were investigated for photo-destruction of imazapyr herbicide waste. Textural, structural and surface properties of the synthetized nanocomposites are verified by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffractometry, HRTEM and various spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, DRS UV–Vis, Raman, PL and XPS). HRTEM micrographs of the calcined Gd2O3-TiO2 revealed the existence of a mesoporous matrix consisting of homogeneously distributed TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs, 12 nm) which are decorated with Ga2O3 nanoparticles. It was found a reverse correlation between the amount of Gd2O3 concentration and the TiO2 nanoparticle size: the formation of smaller TiO2 nanoparticles was favored by the use of high Gd2O3 concentration. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthetized Gd2O3-TiO2 nanocomposites was appraised in the photo-destruction of imazapyr herbicide below visible-light irradiation. The best herbicide destruction was achieved using 3%Gd2O3-TiO2 photocatalyst and degraded the imazapyr herbicide 20.5 and 8.2 times faster than a commercial P25 and non-promoted TiO2, respectively, indicating that modification of TiO2 with Gd2O3 led to a significant improvement of photocatalyst efficiency. This was explained as due to a lessening of the apparent optical bandgap and the formation of a large amount of surface defect states favoring the separation between electrons and holes. Besides its high efficiency, the 3%Gd2O3-TiO2 photocatalyst demonstrated to be recyclable and stable in the visible-light-driven photocatalytic destruction of imazapyr herbicide.

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Acknowledgement

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia under grant no. KEP-PhD-37-130-38. The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks DSR for technical and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    I. A. Mkhalid, R. M. Mohamed & A. A. Alshahri

  2. Sustainable Energy and Chemistry Group, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica, CSIC, Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    J. L. G. Fierro

  3. Advanced Materials Department, Central Metallurgical R&D Institute, CMRDI, P.O. Box 87, Helwan, 11421, Cairo, Egypt

    R. M. Mohamed

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  1. I. A. Mkhalid
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Mkhalid, I.A., Fierro, J.L.G., Mohamed, R.M. et al. Photocatalytic visible-light-driven removal of the herbicide imazapyer using nanocomposites based on mesoporous TiO2 modified with Gd2O3. Appl Nanosci 10, 3773–3786 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-020-01479-8

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