Rational design of rare-earth orthoferrite LnFeO3 via Ln variation towards high photo-Fenton degradation of organics

In this study, rare-earth orthoferrites LnFeO3 were synthesized using a facile hydrothermal reaction and their visible-light-induced photo-Fenton degradation of organics was optimized through Ln variation (Ln = La, Pr, or Gd). The morphological, structural, and chemical characteristics of as-prepared samples were examined in detail by using different methods, including XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, etc. On the other side, under visible light illumination, the photo-Fenton-like catalytic activities of LnFeO3 were assessed in terms of the removal of selected organic models, i.e., pharmaceuticals (ketoprofen and tetracycline) and dyes (rhodamine B and methyl orange). As compared with PrFeO3 or GdFeO3, the sample of LaFeO3 displayed more structural distortion, larger specific surface area, and narrower band gap, resulting in its higher photo-Fenton-like catalytic activity toward the degradation of organics. In organic-containing solution, in which the initial solution pH = 5, catalyst dosage = 1 g/L and H2O2 concentration = 10 mM, 98.2% of rhodamine B, 31.1% of methyl orange, 67.7% of ketoprofen, or 96.4% of tetracycline was removed after 90-min exposure to simulated visible light. Our findings revealed that variation of Ln site on rare-earth orthoferrites was an effective strategy for optimizing their organic removal via visible-light-induced photo-Fenton reaction.