Preparation and application of metal ion-doped CoMgAl-hydrotalcite visible-light-driven photocatalyst

Authors

• Ali Auwalu ¹
• Tong Linlin ¹
• Shamsu Ahmad ²
• Yang Hongying * ¹
• Jin Zhenan ¹
• Yan Song ¹

1. School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China
2. Federal University Dutse, Dutse, PMB 7156, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Preparation and application of CoMgAl-hydrotalcites have been studied. In this paper CoMgAl-LDHs photocatalysts were prepared by co-precipitation. Various techniques such as UV–visible spectrometry (UV–vis), BET, differential thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the catalytic activity, structure, and composition of the prepared samples. The photocatalysts were developed as layered double hydroxides (LDHs) due to their layered structure with OH⁻. In the paper, specific surface area, thermal stability, absorption of visible light, and layered structure (crystal phase) were characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption method, differential thermal gravimetric analysis, UV–vis methods and X-rays diffraction. The results indicated that CoMgAl-LDHs caused photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange, rhodamine talcum, and methylene blue. Initially 1 g/L of the photocatalyst was used to degrade 40 mg/L of methyl orange, it was observed that 85.7% of the methyl orange was degraded at an illumination time of 300 min. However, the degradation of rhodamine and methylene blue was not good and did not give better results as that of methyl orange.

Keywords

• Degradation
• Absorption
• Hydrotalcite
• Photocatalyst