Granular floatable photocatalyst composites and methods of preparation thereof

Abstract

A method of preparing a granular floatable photocatalyst composite comprising (a) stirring an expanded perlite in a sodium hydroxide solution at a particular concentration under reflux to produce a modified expanded perlite, (b) filtering and washing the modified expanded perlite with distilled water, (c) drying the modified expanded perlite, (d) mixing lanthanum nitrate hexahydrate, iron nitrate nanohydrate and a complexing agent in distilled water to form a combustion mixture, (e) maintaining the mixture at pH 7, (f) stirring the mixture, (g) stirring the mixture until a gel is formed, (h) adding the modified expanded perlite to the gel by stirring and heating until lanthanum orthoferrite coats the modified expanded perlite by covering surfaces of the modified expanded perlite, (i) heating the modified expanded perlite without stirring to form a composite and U) calcining the composite to obtain the photocatalyst composite, wherein at least steps ( d) to (i) are performed in-situ.