Abstract
Hematite nanoparticles have been prepared from Moringa oleifera leaf extracts. Phytochemicals are derived from plant extracts which act as a stabilizing and capping agent as well as a surfactant. This green route protocol is attractive owing to its speed, reliability, and ecofriendly and cost-effective qualities. The synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles were subjected to three different calcination temperatures (500, 600, and 700°C). The crystallinity nature and phase purity have been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Optical properties have been studied by UV-visible (UV-vis) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). A very narrow bandgap was observed, and absorbance was observed at the visible region. Photoluminescence spectra have exhibited a multicolor emission band from the near UV to visible region due to defect centers (F centers). EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectrum) has given information on the stoichiometric ratio of Fe and O. The functional groups which are responsible for nanoparticle formation have been identified by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface morphology transformation has been illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies, and VSM measurements have exhibited a hysteresis curve that shows the weak and strong ferromagnetic behavior in nature at RT. TEM micrographs have confirmed that particles are in the nanorange, matching the results from the XRD report. The SAED pattern gives information on the polycrystalline nature of hematite nanoparticles. TG-DSC characterization revealed phase transition, decomposition, and weight loss information. Frequency-dependent electrical properties were studied. Here, we report what the present studies have revealed: that hematite nanopowder prepared from the green route is environmentally friendly, takes a short time to prepare, is an economical and promising candidate material for electromagnetic devices and ferromagnet manufacturing, and is a photocatalyst in water treatment applications without adding additives (H2O2).
Highlights
Phytochemical-mediated synthesis is a green route protocol that has received great attention because it is a novel strategy and it is an alternative to physical and chemical methods [1]
There are many advantages when comparing the green method over the chemical method of synthesis, namely, it can be prepared at room temperature, it uses nonpoisonous capping, it functions as a stabilizing agent, it is an easy method, it can be applied for large scale production, and it is economical as well
After air drying in a hot air oven, it was characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD)
Summary
Phytochemical-mediated synthesis is a green route protocol that has received great attention because it is a novel strategy and it is an alternative to physical and chemical methods [1]. Among all of the metal nanoparticles, iron oxide has attracted the most attention due to its high economical availability, colloidal stability, nontoxicity, ecofriendly nature, magnetic property, and surface engineering capability, and it can be tailored according to its shape and size [35] It has been widely used as catalysts, pigments in paint, noncorrosive agents due to its corrosion resistivity, optoelectronic devices, gas sensors, biosensors, and devices for solar energy conversion, water splitting, water purification, and high-density data storage. We report a simple one-step protocol to produce a nanoparticle with different morphologies and with no surfactant, can act as a stabilizing and capping agent, and is a highly stable magnetic iron oxide with a high coercivity value which could act as an environmentally friendly, biodegradable, magnetically separated magnetic visible-light catalyst to remove organic pollutants in an aqueous medium
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