Mechanochemically Synthesized Solid Solutions La1-xCexFeO3+x/2 for Activation of Peroxydisulfate in Catalytical Reaction for Tetracycline Degradation

The synthesis of orthoferrites of the type La1-xCexFeO3+x/2, x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07, by applying a simple and effective mechanochemical transformation from the constituent oxides is presented. Physicochemical methods such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) adsorption were applied to gain information about the effect of Ce4+ content on the structural, textural, and optical properties of the samples. The catalytic activity of the samples for water decontamination was determined in a photo-Fenton-like activation of persulfate for removal of tetracycline hydrochloride as model pollutant. The presence of persulfate, PDS, considerably increased the removal efficiency under visible light illumination.

Automated summary

This study presents the synthesis of La1-xCexFeO3+x/2 orthoferrites (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) through a simple and effective mechanochemical transformation from constituent oxides. Physicochemical methods such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and BET adsorption were used to investigate the influence of Ce4+ content on the structural, textural, and optical properties of the samples. The catalytic activity of the samples for water decontamination was evaluated in a photo-Fenton-like activation of persulfate, which showed significantly enhanced removal efficiency under visible light illumination.