Abstract
A Co3O4/Fe2O3 composite nanofiber-based solar photocatalyst has been prepared, and its catalytic performance was evaluated by degrading acridine orange (AO) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) beneath solar light. The morphological and physiochemical structure of the synthesized solar photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FESEM indicates that the Co3O4/Fe2O3 composite has fiber-like nanostructures with an average diameter of approximately 20 nm. These nanofibers are made of aggregated nanoparticles having approximately 8.0 nm of average diameter. The optical properties were examined by UV-visible spectrophotometry, and the band gap of the solar photocatalyst was found to be 2.12 eV. The as-grown solar photocatalyst exhibited high catalytic degradation in a short time by applying to degrade AO and BCB. The pH had an effect on the catalytic performance of the as-grown solar photocatalyst, and it was found that the synthesized solar photocatalyst is more efficient at high pH. The kinetics study of both AO and BCB degradation indicates that the as-grown nanocatalyst would be a talented and efficient solar photocatalyst for the removal of hazardous and toxic organic materials.
Highlights
Recent industrial progress has positive consequences on human life and causes big environmental threats due to the continuous release of industrial pollutants [1,2,3]
The catalytic properties of the as-grown solar photocatalyst were studied by degrading acridine orange (AO) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) at different pH under solar light
Photocatalytic degradation of dye The photocatalytic property of the composite nanofibers was evaluated by using toxic dyes AO and BCB under solar light, which is relatively stable in the absence of a nanomaterial
Summary
Recent industrial progress has positive consequences on human life and causes big environmental threats due to the continuous release of industrial pollutants [1,2,3]. Doped and composite nanostructure metal oxides have been considered as interesting materials and have shown excellent properties in photocatalysis [1,18]. Doping of nanomaterials tunes the band gap energy and enhances the conductivity, electrical, mechanical, barrier, sensing, and solar photocatalytic properties [21,22]. Cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanomaterials have shown much application in different sectors. They have been used in Li-ion battery, catalysis, and sensing applications. All these properties depend on the particle size of Co3O4 [23,24]. Since cobalt oxide has oxidation catalysis and Fe2O3 has photocatalysis properties, the composite of these two oxides would probably show some interesting visible photocatalytic properties. The catalytic properties of the as-grown solar photocatalyst were studied by degrading acridine orange (AO) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) at different pH under solar light
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