Abstract

Synthetic dyes used in textile and dyeing industries are significantly dangerous to water ecosystems due to their high toxicity and non-biodegradability. Effective removal of dyes from wastewater is now a day a challenging task. Photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and eco-friendly technology that uses solar energy to remediate environmental pollution. Enhance photocatalytic activity is a major task towards industrial attractive applications. Tuning photocatalysts activity in the visible region while improving their efficiency involves processes as coupling semiconductors, aligning potential bands, reducing energy gaps, and improving carrier separation. In this study, we synthesized nanotubes based on CeO2 (1D) and nanosheets based on La2Ti2O7 (2D) to form NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunctions via a hydrothermal synthesis route. This approach offers notable advantages as novelty, green chemistry, high yield, efficiency, simple equipment, and intermediate temperature. The NT- CeO2 content in the heterojunctions influenced their catalytic activity, affecting physicochemical characteristics and photocatalytic performance. The 1D-2D NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunctions consisted of CeO2 nanotubes deposited on La2Ti2O7 nanosheets. Characterization techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance were employed to confirm the junction formation, crystallinity, morphology, and characteristic vibrational modes of the NT- CeO2 @ La2Ti2O7 heterojunction. Photocatalytic tests revealed that the NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunction achieved over ~25% degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) within 150 minutes under visible light irradiation from a 150W power LED. The power consumption for RhB degradation using NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunction was superior to previous reports using Xe and Hg lamps in similar systems involving cerium oxide. Furthermore, RhB degradation was dependent on the initial dye concentration, with h+ and O2.- identified as the primary oxidative species responsible for RhB degradation. In summary, this study presents the synthesis of NT-CeO2@La2Ti2O7 heterojunction via the hydrothermal method for visible-light photocatalysis of Rhodamine-B degradation, utilizing the energy in the visible spectrum as a stimulation source.