Simultaneous mitigation of inorganic pollutants and microorganism from wastewater by xTiO2 (x=La3+ and Ce3+) nanoparticles under visible light

The amount of currently available freshwater on earth is in continuous decline due to rapidly increased consumption as a result of population growth, industrial use and climate change. Now, it is imperative to look for better approaches to increase the freshwater available to meet the developing requirement for water. Here, we synthesised TiO2 doped 3%La3+ and 3%Ce3+ nanoparticles (NPs) by a modified solvolysis process in Dimethyl Sulphoxide (DMSO) to enhance wastewater treatment. The structure and morphology of the undoped and La3+ or Ce3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA), and Fourier transmission infrared (FT-IR). The results reveal the substitution of both La3+ and Ce3+ (3.0%) in the TiO2 anatase lattice forming a homogeneous solid, high-thermally stable NPs, free from organic compounds and any oxide byproducts. The 3%La3+/TiO2 NPs were able to mitigate more than 84% and 69% of F- and PO43- respectively. On the other hand, 3%Ce3+/TiO(2)shows better performance for Cr3+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Pb(2+)removal % of 96.9, 94, 98.7, 100, respectively.

Automated summary

The amount of freshwater available on earth is decreasing due to various factors, including population growth and climate change. Therefore, finding better approaches to increase freshwater availability is crucial. This study focused on synthesizing TiO2 nanoparticles doped with 3% La3+ and 3% Ce3+ to enhance wastewater treatment. The results showed that these doped nanoparticles had high thermal stability and were effective in removing specific contaminants from wastewater.