High-yielding strategy for microwave-assisted synthesis of Cr2O3 nanocatalyst

Abstract

A microwave irradiation-based high-efficiency method was utilized in this study to prepare novel chromium (III) oxide (Cr2O3) nanostructures with their own distinctive properties. The synthesis method was accordingly conducted in optimum conditions for the time duration of 20 min, the power of 360 W, and the microwave temperature of 30 °C. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs also revealed a highly homogeneous morphology of crystalline nanostructures. Besides, the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data demonstrated the single-phase existence of these components. Thermal stability and development of pure Cr2O3 samples were further investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and DSC. Moreover, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique showed a high specific surface area and significant porosity of these materials. As well, value-stream mapping (VSM) was employed to test the magnetic characteristics of the products. The findings established that microwave irradiation could play a key role in the synthesis of Cr2O3 compounds in environmental conditions. The effective microwave-assisted route applied in this study for the synthesis of Cr2O3 nanocatalysts with high physico-chemical properties was also remarkable compared with other nanocatalysts.