FeOCl/Ln (Ln = La or Y): efficient photo-Fenton catalysts for ibuprofen degradation

Abstract

Rare earth element (La and Y) doped FeOCl has been successfully prepared, which shows efficient Fenton catalytic activity for ibuprofen degradation under simulated solar light. The degradation constants of FeOCl/La and FeOCl/Y in photo-Fenton catalysis are a factor of 7.12 and 5.21 times higher than that of FeOCl, respectively. According to DFT calculations, the doping of rare earth elements formed new catalytically active sites, which promoted the production of ˙OH radicals. The improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electron hole pairs in FeOCl/Ln (Ln = La or Y) also promotes the decomposition of H₂O₂ to produce ˙OH radicals. A synergistic mechanism for FeOCl/Ln (Ln = La or Y) is proposed for the enhanced catalytic performance.