Improving of photocatalytic activity of barium ferrate via bismuth and copper co-doping for degradation of paracetamol under visible light irradiation

Nanosized Ba 1- x Bi x Fe 1- x Cu x O 3 (12-50 nm) with x values of 0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 system was prepared using the Pechini method. Structural, morphological, surface and optical characterizations were performed for the prepared samples. Cubic phase was the predominant phase for the undoped BaFeO 3 and Bi and Cu co-doped BaFeO 3 samples. Minor phases of monoclinic Ba 2 Fe 2 O 5 , orthorhombic BaFe 2 O 4 and orthorhombic BaCO 3 were identified for all the prepared samples. Ba 0.95 Bi 0.05 Fe 0.95 Cu 0.05 O 3 sample has the lowest band gap (2.43 eV). 98.1% paracetamol removal was achieved with 0.75 g/L of Ba 0.95 Bi 0.05 Fe 0.95 Cu 0.05 O 3 at pH 9 after 120 min. The paracetamol degradation follows the pseudo first-order kinetics. HO center dot is the main oxidative species responsible for the paracetamol degradation. Gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed at the end of the photocatalytic degradation experiment under optimum operating condition using Ba 0.95 Bi 0.05 Fe 0.95 Cu 0.05 O 3 to explain the reaction mechanism and identify the intermediate by-products which is confirmed by ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy study at different reaction times. (c) 2021 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.