Perovskite nanomaterials with exceptional photocatalytic properties for oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene

• Published in: Journal of industrial and engineering chemistry (Seoul, Korea) 2023, 127(0), , pp.218-227
• Main Authors: R.Madkour, Mohamed, Abdel-Azim, Samira, Ashmawy, Ashraf M., Elnaggar, Elsayed M., Aman, Delvin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Oxidation reaction; Perovskite; Photocatalytic; Sulfur compound; 화학공학
• ISSN: 1226-086X; 1876-794X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2023.07.007

•LaTiO3, LaZnO3, and LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 photocatalysts were prepared and characterized.•Bandgap and light absorption improved by Zn doped in LaTiO3.•LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 photocatalysts performed exceptionally activity at 180 min.•The mechanism and kinetics of aerobic photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization (APODS) were investigated. LaTiO3, LaZnO3, and Zn-doped LaTiO3 (LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3) perovskite catalysts are used for the aerobic photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization (APODS) of organosulfur compounds such as dibenzothiophene (DBT). Several techniques were used to characterize the synthesized photocatalyst, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, UV–Vis, DRS, PL, and XPS physisorption analyses. XRD patterns of LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 is similar to pure LaTiO3 without any impurities confirming the insertion of atomic zinc into the LaTiO3 lattice structure. According to the obtained results, synthesized doped perovskite exhibits a more significant photocatalytic reaction than pure perovskite in removing DBT in the following order LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 > LaZnO3 > LaTiO3 in the values 99.97, 91.38 and 76.05 % within 180 minutes under sunlight. The pseudo-first-order kinetic reaction model fits well with the results of the kinetic study. A reaction mechanism for LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 was proposed using UV– Vis and XPS. At wavelengths above 400 nm, UV–Vis DRS confirms the absorption edges of the compound, which in this case equates to a visible light absorber with a band gap of 2.9 (eV). Superoxide radicals and holes were determined to be the primary active species in the photocatalytic process due to the reactive species and oxygen bubbles acting as trapping agents. The developed photocatalytic material was also highly regenerative and recyclable. The photocatalyst LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 is first utilized in the photocatalytic oxidation of DBT. LaZn0.5Ti0.5O3 is a promising photocatalyst for environmental control and relevant applications, especially in solar energy.