Exploring the formation of ZnFeAl hybrid materials by in situ incorporation of Fe(II,III) to ZnAl LDHs and its remarkable efficiency to Cr(VI) photoreduction in water
摘要
Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are considered promising photocatalytic materials for the efficient removal of heavy metals like Cr(VI), a toxic metal commonly present in industrial wastewater. In this context, a practical way to do that is by applying a photocatalytic process to reduce Cr(VI) previously adsorbed in LDH materials to non-toxic Cr(III). This work aimed to obtain a hybrid ZnFeAl material with a better charge transfer efficiency by the in-situ incorporation of Fe(II, III) during the synthesis by the co-precipitation method, to decrease the electron–hole recombination rate and improve the photoreduction reaction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The synthesized ZnAl and ZnFeAl LDH materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), physisorption of nitrogen, UV–vis DRS analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoelectrochemical techniques.