Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B, a carcinogenic pollutant, by MgO nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, stable magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) are created using a one-pot process. As a capping and reducing agent, Saraca asoca (Roxb.) leaf extract is used. Multiple methods were used to characterise the photocatalyst, including UV-DRS, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, FE-SEM, EDAX, TEM, Zeta potential, BET, and XPS. The synthesized MgO NPs were found to be face-centered cubic. DRS-UV analysis determined that the optical band gap of MgO nanoparticles was 4.71eV. TEM analysis found that the shapes of the MgO NPs were a mix of nanorods and spheres. The XPS method was applied to determine the oxidation state of the MgO NPs. Rhodamine B dye was degraded by MgO nanoparticles with strong photocatalytic activity when it was exposed to UV light and achieved 95 % degradation. The experimental results were consistent with first-order kinetics. This study demonstrates that MgO NPs can be effectively applied in industries like wastewater treatment. They exhibit positive impacts on adsorption and photocatalysis, possess a rapid degradation rate, are readily studied kinetically, and can be utilized in minimal quantities.