Synthesis and application of Fe-N-Cr-TiO2 nanocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 1 under LED light irradiation

Azo dyes are a large group of dye compounds and their removal and treatment is very important because of their high stability and high carcinogenicity. The purpose of this study was to determine the photocatalytic efficiency of titanium dioxide nanoparticles doped with iron, chromium and nitrogen immobilized on a glass bed in the presence of visible light to remove organic dye from the aqueous solution. LED lamp with a power of 20 watts was used as a visible source. SEM, EDX, XRD, AFM, FTIR, DLS and Zeta-potential analyzes were performed to characterize the fabricated nanoparticle. The operating parameters of the dopant type, solution pH, nanoparticle dosage, initial dye concentration, light intensity, and contact time between the photocatalysts and the dye solution were studied. The results showed that the removal of dyes in acidic pH was higher than that in neutral and alkaline pH. Dye removal efficiency was increased as the nanoparticle amount, light intensity and contact time increased. It was increased from 39 to 98% as the nanoparticle amount increased from 0.5 to 10 mg/cm(2). Moreover, the removal efficiency at 358 and 950 lx was 11 and 74.5%, respectively. When dye concentration was increased from 50 to 200 mg/l, the removal efficiency was decreased from 72 to 10.8%. The photocatalytic process in the presence of the visible light using a Fe-Cr-N-TiO2 nanoparticle immobilized on the glass bed has the potential to remove the Acid Blackl dye from the aqueous medium. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.