Fabrication of TiO2@FeS2 Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes in the Industrial

Abstract

This study was conducted on synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and Iron disulfide (FeS2) nanocomposite (TiO2@FeS2 NC) as a photocatalyst for degradation of methyl orange (MO) as chemical pollutants in the industrial wastewater. The TiO2, FeS2 and TiO2@FeS2 NC were synthesized through chemical methods. The morphology and crystal structure of prepared samples were studied using FESEM and XRD analyses. The results showed humongous mixture of TiO2 and FeS2 in TiO2@FeS2 NC. Optical study revealed that the band-gap values for TiO2, FeS2 and TiO2@FeS2 NC films were obtained 3.07, 2.74, and 2.88 eV, respectively. Electrochemical characterization exhibited that specific capacitance of TiO2@FeS2 NC was more than TiO2 and FeS2 due to effective incorporation Ti and Fe ions to nanocomposite structure and higher effective surface area. The results of photodegradation studies showed the complete degradation of 20 mg/l of MO in the presence of TiO2@FeS2 NC photocatalyst were achieved under 65 and 58 minutes UV and visible light irradiations, respectively. Results showed that the degradation efficiency of TiO2 film was significantly improved 20% and 33% by mixing FeS2 in TiO2@FeS2 NC under UV and visible irradiation, respectively.