Binary Nanocomposites Research Articles

An effective CuO/Bi2WO6 heterostructured photocatalyst: Analyzing a charge-transfer mechanism for the enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline and organic pollutants

Over the past few years, industrial pollution has had a negative impact on aquatic life by releasing significant amounts of hazardous chemicals into the ecosystem. Therefore, it is imperative to develop photocatalytic materials with good photocatalytic activity and easy separation. Photocatalytic degradation has been employed for the removal of such contaminants using binary hybrid nanocomposites as photocatalysts. In the present study, binary CuO/Bi2WO6 (CuBW) nanocomposites with different loadings of Bi2WO6 (~5, 10, and 15 mg) were successfully constructed using a simple hydrothermal method and used as a potential photocatalyst for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The structure, surface morphology, and optical properties were studied to investigate the formation of the heterostructure. Among the prepared samples, the CuBW nanocomposite containing the optimum content of Bi2WO6 (~10 mg) exhibited superior activity toward the photocatalytic degradation of TC (97.72%) in 75 min and MB (99.43%) in 45 min under visible-light illumination. Radical trapping experiments suggested that holes and •OH radicals were the dominant reactive species during the photocatalytic process. The photoelectrochemical results also confirmed the improved separation and transfer of electron-hole pairs at the interface of Bi2WO6 and CuO. Our results demonstrate that the binary CuO/Bi2WO6 nanocomposite has significant potential applications in the field of photocatalysis due to its enhanced separation of the photoexcited charge carriers and strong synergistic interactions.

Efficient photodegradation activity of α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5/TiO2 and Fe2TiO5/TiO2 nanocomposites synthesized from natural ilmenite

Photocatalysis is an attractive widely used environmental remediation technique. Ternary (α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5/TiO2) and binary (Fe2TiO5/TiO2) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by using natural ilmenite sand as the raw material. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic analytical techniques. Both nanocomposites were catalytically active for the photodegradation of methylene blue upon irradiation by a light source (LED and sunlight). The visible light absorption of both composites was improved by the presence of Fe2TiO5 and α-Fe2O3 which absorb in the visible. The ternary nanocomposite with type II band alignments was more active than the binary nanocomposite with type I band alignment in the visible light exposure. Under sunlight exposure, binary nanocomposites were more active than the ternary nanocomposites. Band alignment, percentage of TiO2 in the composites and the proper formation of the structure of the composites govern the photocatalytic activity. OH● is suggested as the main species responsible for the photodegradation of methylene blue.

A 2D model for prediction of nanoparticle distribution and microstructure evolution during solidification of metal matrix nanocomposites

A 2D numerical model to predict the microstructure evolution in binary alloy matrix nanocomposites is presented. The main novelty of the model is that it captures the effect of nanoparticles on binary alloy dendrite growth and microstructure evolution. Diffusion based transport of nanoparticles is solved using a nanoparticle concentration defined in a similar way to an alloying element. Engulfment or rejection of nanoparticles at the solidification interface is implemented by defining a partition coefficient. The diffusivity of nanoparticles is calculated based on nanoparticle movement due to Brownian motion. The governing equations for binary alloy solidification are formulated using the volume averaged enthalpy method with a probabilistic nucleation model for grain nucleation. The effect of nanoparticles on solidification is incorporated through modifications of the solute diffusion field and interfacial energy. The developed model is used for predicting the effect of nanoparticle concentration and nanoparticle radius on dendrite growth and microstructure evolution. From single dendrite study, it is observed that the dendrite size decreases with increase in nanoparticle concentration while it increases with increase in nanoparticle radius. During microstructure evolution, increased non-homogeneity in nanoparticle distribution is observed with increase in nanoparticle concentration and more uniform distribution is observed with increase in nanoparticle radius.

Dye-sensitized solar cell performance and photocatalytic activity enhancement using binary zinc oxide-copper oxide nanocomposites prepared via co-precipitation route

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and binary ZnO–CuO nanocomposites (ZnO–CuO NCs) were prepared through a simple chemical co-precipitation route. The influence of copper (Cu2+) ions concentration (0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12 M) on optical, morphological, structural, and elemental characteristics of the ZnO–CuO NCs was examined by appropriate characterization techniques. The visible light reactive CuO created absorption shift to red region that minimized band gap of the ZnO–CuO NCs. The concentration of Cu2+ ions produced appreciable impact on size of the ZnO–CuO NCs. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) constructed using ZnO–CuO NC photoanode with Cu2+ ions concentration of 0.06 M generated a conclusive solar to electrical energy transformation efficiency of 2.56%, which was a 2.2-times greater over the DSSC encompassed pristine photoanode of ZnO NPs. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis revealed the longer lifetime of the photogenerated electrons and reduction in the charge recombination rate in the ZnO(0.44)–Cu(0.06) NC photoanode based DSSC. Furthermore, the ZnO(0.44)–Cu(0.06) NC disclosed substantial photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue dye degradation that could be chiefly credited to its particles size induced visible light absorption property.

Synthesis of Different Pt‐ZnO Binary Composites for Synergistic Photo‐Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol in Alkali

AbstractVarious compositions of Pt‐ZnO binary nano composites are synthesized as anode‐catalyst for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in alkali under both presence and absence of visible light. Synthesized materials are characterised by various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The catalytic capabilities of synthesized anodes are evaluated by cyclic voltametry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electro‐chemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). CV studies indicate that Pt‐ZnO composite containing 0.6 wt % of Pt displays peak current density (in mAmg−1 of Pt) 427.5 which is 14.84 times greater than that of composite containing 0.1 wt % Pt (28.80) in dark condition and under visible light, 0.4 wt % Pt and 0.6 wt % Pt exhibit 1.89 and 1.28 times greater activity in reference to MOR than that of dark. CA study reveals that 0.6 wt % Pt exhibits steady current density (20.91 mAmg−1 of Pt) 209 times higher compared to that of composite having 0.1 wt % Pt (0.264 mAmg−1 of Pt). The photocurrent response of 0.4 wt % Pt is found the best among the electrodes examined. The EIS data also reveal enhanced interfacial charge transfer in photo‐irradiated electrodes. The HPLC and GCMS studies identify MOR products and help to draw the mechanisms.

Enhanced visible light photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by reduced graphene oxide (RGO)–metal oxide (TiO2, ZnO and WO3) based nanocomposites

We have successfully synthesized high-performance visible light photocatalytic activity of Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and metal oxide dependent binary (RGO/TiO2, RGO/ZnO, and RGO/WO3) nanocomposites (NCs) with improved adsorption characteristics using hydrothermal method. The titanium oxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and titanium oxide (WO3) are strongly anchored over RGO nanosheets in the microscopy images of the nanocomposites, which increases the surface area of the resulting NCs. The UV and PL findings show that combining RGO with metal oxides could increase the charger transfer process and organic pollutant absorption significantly. With varying irradiation times, the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol A (BPA) contaminants was recorded under visible light (0–60 min). As compared to other binary photocatalysts, the RGO/TiO2 composite photocatalyst delivers a high photodegradation (98.5%), first order kinetic rate constant (0.9 × 10−3 min−1) and long lasting stability against BPA. The synthesis of the samples with outstanding properties collected herein has the potential to greatly extend the application possibilities for environmental energy system applications.

Synthesis of a Lignin-Fe/Mn Binary Oxide Blend Nanocomposite and Its Adsorption Capacity for Methylene Blue.

A high-performance modified lignin adsorbent was prepared through coprecipitation of ferrous, ferric, and permanganate with lignin in sodium hydroxide solution. The structural characteristics of the synthesized lignin-Fe/Mn binary oxide blend nanocomposite (L-F/M) and its performance on the methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solution were evaluated. Influence factors of adsorption effects were analyzed including pH, contact time, dye concentration, temperature, and thermodynamics. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model well described the adsorption kinetics, and the adsorption isotherms best fitted the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 252.05 mg g–1 at 298 K. The adsorption mechanism showed that the L-F/M introduced the metallic element and negative charges to the lignin surface, which improved the adherence of MB via hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and coordination. Moreover, the removal ratio of MB maintained 81.2% after being used in five adsorption–desorption cycles. Results indicated that the L-F/M obtained was an efficient candidate for dye wastewater treatment.

Heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant in aqueous solutions by S-scheme heterojunction in nickel molybdate nanocomposites

A novel ɑ-NiMoO4/ɑ-MoO3 binary nanocomposite was fabricated by using facile method. The fabricated nanocomposite was characterized by various techniques, and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated in degradation of Acid blue 92 dye. Among of as-made photocatalysts with various weight ratios of ɑ-MoO3, ɑ-NiMoO4/ɑ-MoO3 (1:5%w/w) exhibited the best photocatalytic performance, and selected as optimum photocatalyst. Under optimum reaction conditions ([dye] = 10 mg L−1, [catalyst] = 200 mg L−1, and pH = 7.0), complete removal efficiency was obtained within 100 min. Also, the first-order rate constant value of reaction in the presence of ɑ-NiMoO4/ɑ-MoO3 was calculated to be 0.032 min−1 that was 3.05, and 2.13 times higher than ɑ-NiMoO4 and ɑ-MoO3, respectively. The improvement photocatalytic performance of ɑ-NiMoO4/ɑ-MoO3 is depended to efficient separation of charge carries, which confirmed by EIS, and PC analysis. According to the radical trapping experiments, hydroxyl radical (HO•), and photo-generated holes (h+) were the dominant reactive species in this reaction. In addition, the recycling experiments indicated that, ɑ-NiMoO4/ɑ-MoO3 nanocomposite has remarkable stability without losing the activity after four consecutive photocatalytic runs. The present study reports a new method for the synthesis of Mo-based nanocomposite for the environmental applications.

Synthesis of 2D NiFe2O4 nanoplates/2D Bi2WO6 nanoflakes heterostructure: An enhanced Z-scheme charge transfer and separation for visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of toxic pollutants

Water pollution is a worldwide concern due to excessive discharge of toxic contaminants to water streams. Effective treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater by utilizing visible-light is a promising method to resolve environmental problems. In the present work, we have demonstrated a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy for the synthesis of a binary NiFe2O4/Bi2WO6 heterostructured nanocomposite. Further, the utility towards photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) has been evaluated. The characterization results revealed that the two-dimensional (2D) Bi2WO6 nanoflakes were inserted upon 2D NiFe2O4 nanoplates, which enhanced the interfacial contact and improved visible-light absorption efficiency, resulting in excellent photogenerated charges separation and transfer. The NiFe2O4/Bi2WO6 heterostructured nanocomposite exhibited higher TC degradation (96.81%) in 96 min and MB degradation (99.16%) in 60 min than the pure samples and remained stable for four successive cycles. The apparent reaction rate constant (k) of 20 mg loading of Bi2WO6 over NiFe2O4 (NFBW-20) exhibited the best photocatalytic performance among the all prepared materials, which was 7.15 (TC) and 9.19 (MB) times that of pristine Bi2WO6, and 6.02 (TC) and 6.41 (MB) times that of pure NiFe2O4. Radical trapping experiments confirmed •O2−, and •OH radicals were critical active species in the degradation mechanism, which supports the Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism. Mott–Schottky measurements were used determine the positions of the conduction and valence bands of the samples, and a possible photocatalytic mechanism for TC and MB degradation was proposed according to experimental results. This study offers a novel effective avenue to design efficient binary heterostructured nanocomposites with superior visible-light response for environmental remediations.

Facile Detection of Blood Creatinine Using Binary Copper-Iron Oxide and rGO-Based Nanocomposite on 3D Printed Ag-Electrode under POC Settings.

Metal nanoparticles have been helpful in creatinine sensing technology under point-of-care (POC) settings because of their excellent electrocatalyst properties. However, the behavior of monometallic nanoparticles as electrochemical creatinine sensors showed limitations concerning the current density in the mA/cm2 range and wide detection window, which are essential parameters for the development of a sensor for POC applications. Herein, we report a new sensor, a reduced graphene oxide stabilized binary copper-iron oxide-based nanocomposite on a 3D printed Ag-electrode (Fe-Cu-rGO@Ag) for detecting a wide range of blood creatinine (0.01 to 1000 μM; detection limit 10 nM) in an electrochemical chip with a current density ranging between 0.185 and 1.371 mA/cm2 and sensitivity limit of 1.1 μA μM-1 cm-2 at physiological pH. Interference studies confirmed that the sensor exhibited no interference from analytes like uric acid, urea, dopamine, and glutathione. The sensor response was also evaluated to detect creatinine in human blood samples with high accuracy in less than a minute. The sensing mechanism suggested that the synergistic effects of Cu and iron oxide nanoparticles played an essential role in the efficient sensing where Fe atoms act as active sites for creatinine oxidation through the secondary amine nitrogen, and Cu nanoparticles acted as an excellent electron-transfer mediator through rGO. The rapid sensor fabrication procedure, mA/cm2 peak current density, a wide range of detection limits, low contact resistance including high selectivity, excellent linear response (R2 = 0.991), and reusability ensured the application of advanced electrochemical sensor toward the POC creatinine detection.

High microwave absorption performance of NiS2/rGO nanocomposites with a thin thickness

Microwave absorption materials with high reflection loss (RL), thin thickness and wide absorption bandwidth have attached a lot of attention for overcoming microwave pollution. Nanocomposites composed of carbon-based materials and metal sulfide have excellent microwave absorption properties, which meet the high RL of low weight microwave absorbing materials. In this study, binary nanocomposites of spherical-like nickel sulfide (NiS2) decorated on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were successfully prepared using a one-step single-mode microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the NiS2 particles were evenly wrapped by rGO. The rGO/NiS2 nanocomposites were used as microwave absorption materials and their electromagnetic parameters were measured in the range of 1.0–18.0 GHz. For the rGO/NiS2 1:5 nanocomposite with a very thin thickness of 1.59 mm, the minimum RL and effective absorption bandwidth reached −33.72 dB and 4.37 GHz, respectively. The microwave absorption performance of the nanocomposites improved by adjusting the impedance upon changing the mass fraction of NiS2. Therefore, rGO/NiS2 nanocomposites with high RL and thin thickness have great application prospects for microwave absorption.

Binary TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for improving methylene blue photodegradation

AbstractHerein, TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (TiO2/rGO) nanocomposites were fabricated using the hydrothermal method and investigated with the amount of titanium precursors. The binary nanocomposites were characterized by modern analysis method. The adsorption capacity and photocatalyst degradation were performed based on methylene blue. The appropriate as‐prepared material with 1.5 mL TIP contained a large specific surface area (110.549 m2/g) with TiO2 ranging 4‐25 nm homogenously grafting on the rGO surface. The adsorption results were shown in good accordance with the pseudo‐second‐order while the photoreaction kinetics pursued the pseudo‐first‐order with a high‐rate constant. After the adsorption state, the yield reaches 62.1 % and under UV light for 90 min, 96.8 % of MB was efficiently degraded from water media, which showed a more impressive effect as compared with P25 and rGO. Therefore, the use of TiO2/rGO could be applied in the mass‐scale treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater.

Antifungal activity of TiO2/AgBr nanocomposites on some phytopathogenic fungi.

TiO2/AgBr composites were synthesized by a simple ultrasonic strategy. Various instruments such as SEM, EDX, XRD, and FT‐IR were exploited to investigate their characteristics. Antifungal activities of the as‐obtained samples were assessed through the inactivation of Fusarium graminearum in the spore suspension method and mycelial growth inhibition of F. graminearum, Botrytis cinerea, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in the microdilution method. The results represented that the TiO2/AgBr samples possess higher antifungal activities on F. graminearum spores than the pure TiO2. The sample with 20 wt% silver bromide represented the highest inhibitory effect on the growth of F. graminearum so that all fungal spores were degraded in the initial times of the treatment process. The inactivation of fungal spores after 60 min was 35.2%, 97.8%, 98.9%, and 98.7%, in respect, for 5, 10, 20, and 30 weight percent of AgBr in the binary nanocomposites, while the inhibition rate was 13.4% for the pure TiO2. With increasing ultrasound irradiation time for more than 30 min, the inactivation rate constant decreased. It was also found that the antifungal activity of the nanocomposites without calcination was higher than those of the calcined materials. Considering the antifungal potential against phytopathogenic fungi and advantages such as simple synthesis and eco‐friendly nature, it seems that TiO2/AgBr nanocomposites can be used instead of synthetic chemicals after additional field investigations and mass production.

Synthesis of Ag nanoparticle supported graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotube based nanohybrids for photodegradation of toxic dyes

Irrespective of the superior surface properties of graphene, research interests are impulsively devoted to synthesizing 1-D carbon nanomaterial-based binary or ternary nanocomposites for potential applications. Nevertheless, an insightful comparison between the properties of graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is lacking in the literature. In the present work, quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were anchored on two different carbon nanomaterial/Ag-based photocatalysts, GO/Ag and multiwalled CNT (MWCNT)/Ag via a modified one-pot synthesis approach. The synthesized Ag NPs and photocatalysts were analyzed using XRD, FTIR, FESEM, TEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy and tested for their photocatalytic efficiency against three different toxic organic dyes, namely rose bengal (RB), methylene blue (MB), and phenol red (PR). During the photocatalytic process, the reactive oxygen species generated via interband transitions from the surface plasmonic resonance of Ag NPs acted synergistically with unique electrostatic interactions by carbon nanomaterials in the GO/Ag-based catalyst to degrade RB, MB, and PR dyes by 92, 87.6, and 81.4%, respectively within 120 min of UV irradiation. Furthermore, temperature dependence and electricity cost consumption were evaluated to establish the specific advantages of GO over its carbon-based counterparts for the purification of wastewater.

Binary nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide and cobalt (II, III) oxide for supercapacitor devices

ABSTRACT In this study, a simple and one-step cost-effective preparation of rGO/Co3O4 nanocomposite was given out in different monomer concentrations of [rGO]o/[Co3O4]o= 1:1; 1:2; 1:5 and 1:10. The electroactive materials were characterized by many techniques, such as FTIR-ATR, XPS, TGA-DTA, Raman, BET surface analysis, GCD, SEM-EDX, XRD, TEM, CV, and EIS analysis. A symmetric supercapacitor applying rGO/Co3O4 nanocomposite as positive and negative electrodes was taken in the potential window between 0.0 and 0.8 V as the highest specific capacitance of Csp= 115.35 F×g-1 at 2 mV×s-1 for [rGO]o/[Co3O4]o= 1:2. Furthermore, the highest energy (E) and power densities (P) were obtained as E= 20.16 Wh×kg-1 at 40 mA and P= 26.140 kW×kg-1 at 10 mA for [rGO]o/[Co3O4]o= 1:2 by GCD method, respectively. As a result, rGO/Co3O4 nanocomposite at different monomer concentrations showed an easy synthesis, a sustainable approach, and a high electrochemical performances for energy storage devices.

Role of morphology in electrochemical hydrogen storage using binary DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites as electrode materials

Hydrogen storage technology is one of the most challenging issues due to the increasing demand for fossil fuel replacement and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the current paper, the main aim is one-step and eco-friendly preparation of DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites using Barberry fruit extract as natural precursor (with the role of both fuel and capping agent) to compare with various conventional carboxylic acids. To further examine, the effect of different parameters like calcination temperature and the type of the chelating agent was scrutinized to acquire optimum shape, structure, morphology and size of the obtained products. This is the first effort on the investigation of the hydrogen storage capacity of DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites in terms of role of morphology. The electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of obtained DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites was studied mediated by chronopotentiometry charge-discharge methods in KOH medium. The synthesis of nanocomposites in the presence of chemical or natural capping agent (carboxylic acids or Barberry fruit extract) led to different morphologies which affects to the electrochemical performance. As a result, the electrode which is provided by plate-like DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites performed 600.11 mAh/g discharge capacity compared with other samples. Based on the obtained results, DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites can be promising compounds to improve the electrochemical performance of hydrogen storage.

Fabrication and assessment of an electrochromic and radar-absorbent dual device based on the new smart polythiophene-based/RGO/Fe3O4 ternary nanocomposite

Both polymeric electrochromic and radar absorption materials have been considered as science hotspots over the past few decades. However, integrating both properties (electrochromic and radar absorption) in a single device has not been addressed to fabricate a multifunctional device so far. Thus, here, we endeavor to shed light on this uncharted area by presenting a new smart ternary nanocomposite (polythiophene-based/RGO-Fe3O4) which can provide both electrochromic and microwave absorbent features simultaneously. In this regard, we synthesized the binary Fe3O4-RGO nanocomposites with different contents of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Then, this binary nanocomposite is utilized in combination with a polythiophene-based conductive polymer as a tricolor (RGB) organic electrochromic material to synthesize the smart ternary nanocomposite through both in-situ polymerization and physical mixing methods. The ternary nanocomposites containing different weight fractions of Fe3O4-RGO nanoparticles were used to assemble the rigid and flexible ECD devices using flat and fiber substrates such as glass-indium tin oxide (glass-ITO), polyethylene terephthalate-indium tin oxide (PET-ITO) and stainless steel wire (SSW). By applying a voltage of −2.1 to 2.1 v, a reversible color-switching ability was observed between green color (oxidized state), and red color (reduced state) for all ECDs. The average switching time and color memory for the SSW cell were determined to be about 3 s and 155 min, and for both glass-ITO and PET-ITO cells to be 2 s and 210 min, respectively. Additionally, the microwave absorption properties of the prepared ternary nanocomposites were characterized by measuring the electromagnetic parameters such as permittivity, permeability, and reflection loss. A ternary nanocomposite with 3 mm thickness filled with 50 wt% Fe3O4-RGO exhibited a maximum reflection loss as high as −30.2 dB (92% absorption) at 12.3 GHz (in the range of x-bond) with 1.1 GHz bandwidth.

Enhanced Electro-Magnetic Wave Absorbing Properties of Fe3O4-Polyaniline Nano-Composites

Fe3O4-polyaniline (Fe3O4-PANI) binary nano-composites have been prepared by in-situ polymerization of aniline monomer on surface of Fe3O4 magnetic nano-particles. The morphology, structure and magnetic performance are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and vibration sample magnetism (VSM). The electro-magnetic data is tested by vector network analyzer demonstrating that the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of Fe3O4-PANI is -26 dB at 17 GHz with 1.5 mm thickness and 3.48 GHz (14.52 GHz~18 GHz) absorbing bandwidth (RL < -10 dB). It is believed that such composites will have a promising application in the future.

Lanthanum-Zinc Binary Oxide Nanocomposite with Promising Heterogeneous Catalysis Performance for the Active Conversion of 4-Nitrophenol into 4-Aminophenol

This work intended to enhance the unique and outstanding properties of lanthanum by synthesizing its nanocomposite. A lanthanum-based nanocomposite was prepared by a simple and cost-effective “co-precipitation” method. Lanthanum nitrate (La (NO3)3) and zinc nitrate (Zn (NO3)2) were used as precursors. The lanthanum/zinc oxide nano composite formed was then calcined at 450 °C for 4 h in order to obtain a fine powder with size in the nano range of 1–100 nm. Characterization of the prepared catalyst was done by ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. Crystallinity and morphology were found by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The synthesized nanocomposite material was also tested for heterogeneous catalytic applications of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction into 4-aminophenol (4-AP). It was found to be successful in complete reduction of 4-NP with enhanced catalytic performance.

Rational design of a novel LaFeO3/g-C3N4/BiFeO3 double Z-scheme structure: Photocatalytic performance for antibiotic degradation and mechanistic insight

A novel ternary symmetric double Z-scheme LaFeO3/g-C3N4/BiFeO3 (LCB) heterojunction nanocomposite was rationally obtained using a wet chemical process. The ternary system was confirmed by structural analysis and surface and morphological studies. This double Z-scheme photocatalyst showed an outstanding photocatalytic performance for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation compared to g-C3N4, LaFeO3, BiFeO3, and their binary nanocomposites. The enhanced photocatalytic activities were primarily derived from the improved light absorption capability, effective spatial separation, and prolonged charge carriers lifetime in the double Z-scheme system. In particular, the scavenger tests and electron spin resonance spectra demonstrated that •O2− and •OH are the primary oxidative radical species in the photocatalytic systems and confirmed the formation of the double Z-scheme structure. The possible degradation pathways of CIP were proposed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry analysis. This study may open a new insight into the design and synthesis of highly efficient double Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental decontamination.