Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under natural sunlight using Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles prepared by a modified sol-gel method

Iron titanate (Fe2TiO5) nanoparticles with an orthorhombic structure were
successfully synthesized using a modified sol-gel method and calcination
at 750 °C. The as-prepared Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles exhibited a moderate
specific surface area. The mesoporous Fe2TiO5 nanoparticles possessed
strong absorption in the visible light region and the band gap was
estimated to be around 2.16 eV. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated
by the degradation of methylene blue under natural sunlight. The effect of
parameters such as the amount of catalyst, initial concentration of the
dye and pH of the dye solution were investigated on the removal efficiency
of methylene blue. Fe2TiO5 showed high degradation efficiency in a strong
alkaline medium that can be the result of the facilitated formation of OH
radicals due to an increased concentration of hydroxyl ions.