Synergistic photocatalytic activity of LnFeO3 (Ln=Pr, Y) perovskites under visible-light illumination

Uniform LnFeO3 (Ln=Pr, Y) nano-/submicro-particles were prepared by a sol-gel method with the assistance of glycol at 800 °C for 4 h. The as-synthesized LnFeO3 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic behaviors of LnFeO3 nanoparticles were evaluated by the photodegradation of rhodamine-B under visible light irradiation. The results indicate that the as-prepared PrFeO3 nanoparticles exhibit remarkable visible-light photocatalytic activity through the synergism of semiconductor-photocatalyzed oxidation and heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction. Compared with the semiconductor photocatalysis, the photodecomposition rate of RhB was improved about 5 times when the simultaneous presence of the nanoparticles and H2O2, and a possible degradation mechanism was proposed.