Fabrication of FeVO4/Fe2TiO5 composite catalyst and photocatalytic removal of norfloxacin

A new type of FeVO4/Fe2TiO5 composite heterogeneous catalysts was firstly designed and successfully synthesized via a one pot hydrothermal method. The new as-prepared FeVO4/Fe2TiO5 exhibited high photocatalytic activity and excellent stability while being used for norfloxacin (NFX) removal from aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The high photocatalytic activity may attribute to synergistic effect photogenerated electron-hole with (OH)-O-center dot and h(+). In the complex photocatalytic degradation process, the piperazine ring within norfloxacin was firstly attacked and ruptured. As the properties of abundant raw material and facile prepared method, FeVO4/Fe2TiO5 composite could be met with a great practical application prospect. Meanwhile, this study could offer a new insight into the design and synthesis of other new and high activity composite structure photocatalysts. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.