Photocatalytic removal of methylene blue and Victoria blue R dyes using Tb and La-doped BaZnO2

Abstract

The synthesis of BaxM1−xZnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) (M = La and Tb) was prepared using sol-gel technique. This method involved the simultaneous substitution of a single ion. The structural, dielectric properties, morphology, elemental analysis, photo-catalysis and distribution size of the prepared material were assessed. The examination utilizes X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dielectric measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The XRD pattern verifies that all the nanoparticles synthesized possess hexagonal structure and have effectively replaced the metal ions within the standard crystal structure of BaZnO2. The lattice parameters, X-ray density, bulk density, porosity, and grain size were determined using the XRD data of BaxM1−xZnO2 (M = La, Tb). The catalyst was proved to be a promising photocatalyst for VBR dye as it degraded 90% in 20 min under UV light and for MB dye, it was 80% within 60 min under UV and 120 min under sunlight. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) against methylene blue and Victoria blue R dyes have conclusively shown that the prepared sample displayed exceptional degradation under UV and sunlight, which could be employed for the treatment of efflunets contain dyes.