EFFECTS OF CALCINATION TEMPERATURES OF Fe2O3-La2O3 ON METHYLENE BLUE PHOTODEGRADATION EFFICIENCY

Abstract

Nanostructured Fe2O3-La2O3 (FL) as photocatalysts for methylene blue (MB) degradation were prepared by
gel combustion methods using tartaric acid and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as fuels and gel-generators at
various calcination temperatures. MB photodegradation experiments exhibited the photocatalytic
performance decrease in the order of FL750 > FL650 > FL550 > FL450, which corresponded to the
decrease of calcination temperature of as-prepared gel mixtures. The optimization for MB photodegradation
conditions using FL650 exhibited the highest degradation efficiency of ≥ 90% for five hours in case of a
catalyst dosage of 0.05 g/L and a MB initial concentration of 5 ppm.