Visible light assisted photocatalysis of Methylene Blue and Rose Bengal dyes by iron doped NiO nanoparticles prepared via chemical co-precipitation

Abstract

This study reports the effect of iron doping on the various properties of nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles. The structural, textural and optical properties of as prepared samples were investigated by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Elemental Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. XRD analysis revealed the nanocrystalline nature of prepared samples while FTIR showed the presence of various functional bands present in samples. SEM-EDX studies show irregular morphology of particles. The UV–Vis analysis shows a red shift as doping content of iron increases indicating decrease in the optical bandgap values. The photocatalytic activity of prepared samples was studied by degradation of Rose Bengal (RB) and Methylene Blue (MB) dye aqueous solutions. From the photocatalytic studies, the prepared samples are found to be promising photocatalysts in abatement of organic pollutants.