Fabrication of a new nickel iron-titanate perovskite composite with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Abstract

In this study, a nickel iron-titanate (NiFeTiO₃) perovskite composite was prepared newly and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The composite material was prepared by a synthetic method combining the sol–gel method and the solvothermal method. The physicochemical and optical properties of the prepared NiFeTiO₃ perovskites were investigated. In this study, a newly prepared NiFeTiO₃ perovskite composite was evaluated for its photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The composite material was synthesized using a combination of the sol–gel method and the solvothermal method. The physicochemical and optical properties of the prepared NiFeTiO₃ perovskites were investigated. The perovskite composites with the NiFeTiO₃ structure had excellent absorption ability for visible light above 800 nm. Its bandgap energy was found to be approximately 1.8 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the NiFeTiO₃ composite was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The NiFeTiO₃ had superior visible light absorption ability compared to NiTiO₃. It had excellent decomposition performance for methylene blue and formaldehyde. In addition, the photocatalytic activity for sterilizing pathogenic bacteria was much higher than that of NiTiO₃ perovskite. In the water splitting by solar energy, the NiFeTiO₃ catalysts produced hydrogen through a photocatalytic decomposition reaction. The NiFeTiO₃ composite was considered a perovskite composite with significantly improved photocatalytic function due to its high sensitivity to visible light.