Photocatalytic degradation of anthracene using titanium dioxide-NPs doped with iron in the presence of UV radiation from the aqueous solution: by-products determination

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation of anthracene using Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of UV. The structure and morphology of Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The applied nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The effect of influential parameters on the degradation of anthracene, including pH, time, nanoparticles dosage, and the concentration of anthracene was studied. Using the UV/Fe-doped TiO2 system, the optimum experimental values were obtained to be as follows: pH = 7, contact time = 60 min, anthracene concentration = 5 mg/L, and nanoparticle dosage = 100 mg/L. Based on the results, it could be concluded that the photocatalytic degradation of anthracene using the UV/Fe-doped TiO2 provides suitable efficiency. In addition, it was found that the doped TiO2 could be considered as a proper catalyst in photocatalytic degradation processes.