Effect of Shape and Size on Synthesized Triple (Co/Ni/Zn)-Doped α-Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanoparticles on their Photocatalytic and Scavenging Properties
Naveen Thakur, Pankaj Kumar
Abstract
Co/Ni/Zn triple doped [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized via polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/Azadirachta indica (A. Indica) leaf extract coating. XRD, UV–Vis, SEM, TEM, EDS, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, VSM were used to characterize the synthesized NPs. XRD pattern revealed that the crystallite size of NPs ranges from 14[Formula: see text]nm to 21[Formula: see text]nm. Spherical NPs were found by SEM/TEM examination ranging from 16[Formula: see text]nm to 26[Formula: see text]nm of doped [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 NPs. Analysis of the magnetic properties of [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 NPs revealed antiferromagnetic characteristics, convergence between magnetization curves (MS), and switching field distribution dM/dh below an irreversible temperature of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]K. Produced catalyst was used for the degradation of anionic azo dye Malachite green (MG) and Rhodamine blue (RhB) dyes under the influence of UV radiation. RhB and MG were reduced as a result of the doped [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 catalyzing the conversion of dissolved O 2 to hydroxyl radicals (OH) when exposed to visible light. This shows that the main active radical specifically engaged in the photo-catalytic breakdown of dyes is OH. The most effective photo-catalyst was determined by investigating the proposed doped [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 NPs reusability over three cycles. The catalyst was retrieved and utilized three times after the reaction without suffering a substantial loss of catalytic activity. The plant-mediated [Formula: see text]-Fe 2 O 3 NPs have significant antioxidant activity due to their higher phenolic content. These have a promising future with potential applications in health, aging, food preservation, cosmetics, agriculture and environmental protection.