Beneficial effect of cerium excess on in situ grown Sr 0.86 Ce 0.14 FeO 3 -CeO 2 thermocatalysts for the degradation of bisphenol A

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 13; no. 31; pp. 21459 - 21470
• Main Authors: Østergaard, Martin B, Deganello, Francesca, La Parola, Valeria, Liotta, Leonarda F, Boffa, Vittorio, Jørgensen, Mads K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 12.07.2023
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/D3RA03404F

Ce-doped SrFeO perovskite-type compounds are known as good thermocatalysts for the abatement of wastewater contaminants of emerging concern. In this work, Sr Ce FeO -CeO perovskite-oxide systems with increasing amounts of cerium excess (0, 5, 10 and 15 mol% Ce), with respect to its maximum solubility in the perovskite, were prepared in one-pot by solution combustion synthesis and the effects of cerium excess on the chemical physical properties and thermocatalytic activity in the bisphenol A degradation were evaluated. The powders were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction combined with Rietveld refinement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetry, temperature programmed reduction, nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. Results highlight that the perovskite structural, redox, surface, and morphological properties are affected by the co-growth of the main perovskite phase and ceria and that a larger cerium excess has a beneficial effect on the thermocatalytic performance of the perovskite oxide-ceria biphasic system, although ceria is not active as a thermocatalyst itself. Perovskite properties and performance are enhanced by the tetragonal distortion induced by the introduction of cerium excess in the synthesis. It is supposed that a larger oxygen mobility and an easier reducibility are among the most relevant features that contribute to superior thermocatalytic properties of these perovskite oxide-based systems. These results also suggest new perspectives in the nanocomposite preparation and their catalytic applications.