Plasmonic Ag-pillared rectorite as catalyst for degradation of 2,4-DCP in the H2O2-containing system under visible light irradiation

This study aims at photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-DCP with the assistance of H2O2 in aqueous solution by a composite catalyst of Ag-rectorite. The catalysts were prepared via a novel thermal decomposition method followed after the cation-exchange process. The synthesized nano-materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analyzer, Ultraviolet-visible light (UV-vis) absorption spectra, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The different mechanisms of degradation process with or without visible light irradiation were discussed, respectively. Moreover, the degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP wastewater under Ag-rectorite/H2O2/visible light system was investigated by series of experiments, concerning on effects of major operation factors, such as H2O2 dosage and the initial pH value. The highest degradation rate was observed when adding 0.18 mL H2O2 into 50 mL 2,4-DCP solution, and the optimal pH value was 4 for the reaction. Afterwards, total organic carbon (TOC) experiments were carried out to evaluate the mineralization ratio of 2,4-DCP. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.