Fe-Ce/Layered Double Hydroxide Heterostructures and Their Derived Oxides: Electrochemical Characterization and Light-Driven Catalysis for the Degradation of Phenol from Water

Fe-Ce/layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized via a facile route by exploiting the structural memory of the LDH when the calcined MgAlLDH and ZnAlLDH were reconstructed in the aqueous solutions of FeSO4/Ce(SO4)(2). XRD analysis shows the formation of heterostructured catalysts that entangle the structural characteristics of the LDHs with those of Fe2O3 and CeO2. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, TG/DTG, SEM/EDX and TEM results reveal a complex morphology defined by the large nano/microplates of the reconstructed LDHs that are tightly covered with nanoparticles of Fe2O3 and CeO2. Calcination at 850 degrees C promoted the formation of highly crystallized mixed oxides of Fe2O3/CeO2/ZnO and spinels. The photo-electrochemical behavior of Fe-Ce/LDHs and their derived oxides was studied in a three-electrode photo-electrochemical cell, using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis and photo-electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (PEIS) measurements, in dark or under illumination. When tested as novel catalysts for the degradation of phenol from aqueous solutions, the light-driven catalytic heterojunctions of Fe-Ce/LDH and their derived oxides reveal their capabilities to efficiently remove phenol from water, under both UV and solar irradiation.

Automated summary

Fe-Ce/layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized by reconstructing the calcined MgAlLDH and ZnAlLDH in FeSO4/Ce(SO4)(2) aqueous solutions. The resulting catalysts show a heterostructured morphology, combining the characteristics of LDHs with those of Fe2O3 and CeO2. The photo-electrochemical behavior of Fe-Ce/LDHs and their derived oxides was studied, demonstrating their efficiency in the degradation of phenol from water under both UV and solar irradiation.