β-FeOOH/TiO2/cellulose nanocomposite aerogel as a novel heterogeneous photocatalyst for highly efficient photo-Fenton degradation

Abstract

The photo-Fenton reaction provides an effective strategy for the removal of organic pollution in water environments. However, it remains a great challenge to develop photo-Fenton catalysts with high photocatalytic activity, low catalyst losses and excellent recyclability. In this work, a β-FeOOH/TiO₂/cellulose nanocomposite aerogel was fabricated as an efficient and convenient heterogeneous catalyst in the photo-Fenton system via in situ synthesis of TiO₂ and β-FeOOH NPs on a cellulose-based aerogel. The cellulose aerogel not only acted as a microreactor to prevent aggregation of particles, but also acted as a supporting material to improve the stability and reusable performance of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the synergy between TiO₂ and β-FeOOH endowed the cellulose-based nanocomposite aerogel with highly efficient photo-Fenton degradation of dyes. As a result, the composite β-FeOOH/TiO₂/cellulose aerogel displayed high photocatalytic performance. Its removal efficiency of MB reached 97.2% under weak UV light for 65 min. There is no obvious decrease in the catalytic efficiency after 5 cycles, suggesting the stability and recyclability of the composite aerogel. This study provides a novel strategy for the preparation of efficient green heterogeneous catalysts by using renewable resources, and shows composite catalyst processes have great potential in wastewater treatment.