Bismuth-doped lanthanum ferrite perovskites: A promising approach for enhancing photo-Fenton degradation of organic dye pollutants.

Fabrication of efficient perovskite photo-Fenton catalytic systems is recognized as an effective strategy for clean water production. However, modifying perovskite catalysts effectively remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we prepared Bi-doped LaFeO 3 photo-Fenton catalysts using a facile microwave-assisted method. Various characterization techniques confirmed the successful formation of these Bi-doped LaFeO 3 perovskite materials. The photo-Fenton activity of the Bi-doped LaFeO 3 perovskite materials with varying Bi content was assessed by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye solution. Remarkably, the optimized Bi-doped LaFeO 3 (referred to as LBFO3) catalyst achieved approximately 93.64% degradation of MB within 100 min of visible light exposure, demonstrating exceptional efficacy in treating wastewater containing organic dye pollutants. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the LBFO3 perovskite materials arises from the incorporation of Bi, leading to an expanded optical absorption range, increased specific surface area, and enhanced separation and migration of photo-generated carriers. Importantly, the LBFO3 photo-Fenton system exhibited remarkable stability during four successive cycling treatments, indicating promising practical applications. Additionally, quenching experiments were conducted to elucidate electron transfer in the LBFO3 catalyst related to the photo-Fenton degradation mechanism of MB. This study might pave the way toward designing novel perovskite based photo-Fenton systems for highly efficient degradation of waterborne contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]