Photocatalytic degradation of phenol using MgAlSn hydrotalcite-like compounds

• Hydrotalcite-like compounds were prepared by co-precipitation method.
• Structure changes of all samples were studied.
• The synthesized photocatalysts were evaluated in the phenol degradation.
• It was shown that MgAlSn 15% material has the best photoactivity.

MgAl Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) with molar ratio Mg/Al = 3 and MgAlSn containing 5, 10 and 15wt% of tin were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to a detector for energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy microanalysis (SEM/EDS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy (UV–Vis) in order to determine the crystalline structure, textural properties, vibrational modes of the LDH, morphology and tin content, as well as the band gap of the solids. The photocatalytic behaviors of synthesized materials were tested in phenol degradation under UV irradiation. The results showed that MgAlSn 15% present the highest activity with 80% degradation of the contaminant molecule after 3 hours of exposure to light.

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