The Influence of the Simultaneous Addition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ on Changes in the Structural, Optical, and Electronic Properties of TiO2 Powder
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.12406Keywords:
TiO₂ powder, Fe2 : Fe3 ratio, TiO₂: Fe₂O₃ ratio, Simultaneous, Structural, Optical, Electronic, PropertiesAbstract
Modification of TiO₂ powder to form TiO₂-Fe/Fe₂O₃ composites with simultaneous incorporation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions via a simple approach has been conducted. The characterization of photocatalyst composites has been carried out using FTIR, Raman, XRD, SAA, TEM, DRS, XPS, and VSM. The simultaneous incorporation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions has modified the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of TiO2 powder. Systematic variation of Fe²⁺: Fe³⁺ compositions (mole/mole) revealed that Fe³⁺ had a stronger impact than Fe²⁺. At low Fe³⁺ and Fe₂O₃ composition, interfacial interaction and heterojunction formation dominated, whereas higher levels promoted substitutional doping. At low Fe³⁺ composition (Fe2+: Fe3+ = 1:0.3 - 1:1), crystallite size increased (29.95 - 34.65 nm) but crystallinity decreased (62.34% - 57.99%), surface area increased (25.90 - 29.71 m2/g) but pore size decreased (0.097 - 0.085 cc/g), the bandgap narrowed (3.14 - 2.98 eV), and maghemite formation and magnetic moment decreased (36.83 - 17.66 emu/g). Whereas at Fe³⁺ higher ratio (Fe2+: Fe3+ = 1:1 - 1:3), the bandgap significantly narrowed (2.98 - 2.80 eV), crystallite size (34.65 - 27.30 nm) and crystallinity (57.99% - 49.27%) decreased, surface area (29.09 - 43.49 m2/g) and pore size (0.085 - 0.139 cc/g) increased, and hematite formation increased and magnetic moment decreased (17.66 - 14.86 emu/g). Furthermore, increasing the proportion of Fe₂O₃ in TiO₂ powder (TiO₂: Fe₂O₃) has enlarged the surface area and pore size, narrowed the bandgap, decreased the crystallite sizes and crystallinity, and improved magnetic properties. Photocatalytic evaluation under visible light showed that increasing Fe³⁺ and Fe₂O₃ enhanced both Methyl Violet (MV) degradation up to 84.54% and Cr(VI) reduction up to 36.55%, with stronger MV degradation indicating that Fe³⁺ mainly serves as an electron trap.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Simultaneous addition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in basic conditions to TiO2 powder has resulted in interesting changed properties, in which the Fe³⁺ effect is stronger than Fe²⁺.
- At low Fe³⁺ composition (Fe2+:Fe3+ = 1:0.3 - 1:1), the interfacial interaction and heterojunction formation dominated, bandgap narrowed, crystallite size increased but crystallinity decreased, surface area increased but pore size decreased, and maghemite formation and magnetic moment decreased.
- Whereas at Fe³⁺ higher ratio (Fe2+:Fe3+ = 1:1 - 1:3), the substitutional doping increased, bandgap significantly narrowed, crystallite size and crystallinity decreased, surface area and pore size increased, hematite formation increased and magnetic moment decreased.
- Increasing the proportion of Fe₂O₃ in TiO₂ powder (TiO₂:Fe₂O₃) has enlarged the surface area, narrowed the bandgap, decreased the crystallite sizes and crystallinity, and improved magnetic properties.
- Increasing Fe³⁺ and Fe₂O₃ enhanced both Methyl Violet (MV) degradation and Cr(VI) reduction under visible light.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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