Synergistic engineering of carbon incorporated α-Fe2O3 nanostructures achieving enhanced degradation of tetracycline via photo-Fenton process

초록

An excellent photocatalytic performance for Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) degradation is reported using green-processed, carbon-doped alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) as a Fenton catalyst. We present a simple, solvent-free, green solid-state reduction followed by oxidation (RFO) approach to obtain coral-like, interconnected alpha-Fe2O3 morphology with effective carbon doping. The readily available [Fe(acac)3] coordination compound is directly subjected to this RFO process to yield carbon-doped alpha-Fe2O3 NPs. Effective in situ carbon doping in the alpha-Fe2O3 network is achieved using the single-source [Fe(acac)3] complex, without employing any aggressive solvents. The resulting single-source in situ carbon-doped catalyst, alpha-Fe2O3@C (RFO-1), not only suppresses electron-hole recombination but also facilitates electron transfer during TC degradation. Remarkably, the as-synthesized alpha-Fe2O3@C (RFO-1) catalyst exhibited 96% removal of TC within 15 min in the presence of 1 mM H2O2, with excellent recyclability. This superior catalytic performance can be primarily attributed to its enlarged specific surface area (36.25 m2/g) and enhanced charge trapping by doped carbon, which accelerates the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycle and enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, thereby improving overall photo-Fenton activity. This green approach represents a promising strategy in the synthesis of transition metal oxides and can be generalized for the environmentally friendly preparation of other metal oxide photocatalysts.

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