Lanthanum/titanium dioxide immobilized onto industrial waste with enhanced photocatalytic activity, and the degradation of dimethyl phthalate

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is an effective photocatalyst for organic removal. However, its efficacy is hampered by the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. This paper presented an eco-friendly, synthetic lanthanum (La)/TiO 2 supported on lithium silicon powder (L) to significantly improve photocatalysis . The results showed that 74.4% dimethyl phthalate (DMP) removal was achieved in the ultraviolet (UV)-La-TiO 2 /L (LTL1) system, which was considerably higher than UV-TiO 2 /L (TL) (60.1%) and UV-L (18.3%). The enhanced LTL1 photocatalysis was based on the synergic effect between TiO 2 and La with L matrix. The photocatalysis efficiency was further improved by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), while the DMP removal rate reached 100% in the UV-LTL1-H 2 O 2 system. The DMP activation mechanisms and degradation pathways in the UV-LTL1-H 2 O 2 system were carefully examined, revealing that increased hydroxyl free radical (OH • ) and superoxide ion radicals (O 2 − • ) were pivotal to the higher degradation rate . Overall, the findings suggested that LTL1 showed considerable application promise for the low-cost and eco-friendly organic removal from water.