Enhanced photodegradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by the heterojunction of TiO2 and Fe-MCM 41 material

The aim of this study was to synthesize the TiO/Fe-MCM-41 heterojunction material using the ultrasonic method for the photodegradation of 2,4dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) under light irradiation.The synthesized materials were characterized using various techniques, including XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Vis DRS, and EDX.These analyses confirmed that TiO particles were uniformly dispersed on the Fe-MCM-41 support.The integration of TiO with Fe-MCM-41 enhanced visible light absorption, which in turn improved photocatalytic activity under light irradiation.Among the tested conditions, the optimal performance was observed with a TiO loading of 30% (corresponding to a mass-to-volume ratio of 0.5g/L), an initial 2,4-D concentration of 40ppm, a pH of 4.2, and an illumination time of 210 minutes.Under these conditions, the photodegradation efficiency exceeded 97%.Additionally, radical scavenging experiments indicated that superoxide radicals (O), hydroxyl radicals (OH), and photogenerated holes (h) played critical roles in the photocatalytic degradation process.The TiO/Fe-MCM-41 catalyst also demonstrated stable performance over four consecutive cycles, highlighting its potential for repeated use in photocatalytic applications.