Preparation and characterization of rapid magnetic recyclable Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>@TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>–Sn photocatalyst

Effective procedure to synthesize Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂–Sn magnetically separable photocatalyst by a combination of co-precipitation, sol–gel and photodeposition methods was introduced. Products were characterized by XRD, SEM, VSM, EDS, DRS, TEM, ICP-OES and IR techniques. The dimensions of catalyst particle size were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and results approved nanoscale size for product. In addition, studying the magnetic nature by VSM analysis showed superparamagnetic properties for all samples. XRD pattern indicates that TiO₂ coated on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core well crystallized at 400 °C in anatase phase. Synthesized photocatalyst shows good photocatalytic performance in decolorization of rhodamine B aqueous solution. The composite nanoparticles showed high recycling efficiency and stability over five separation cycles.     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan coating of NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Nickel ferrite nanoparticle is a soft magnetic material whose appealing properties as well as various technical applications have rendered it as one of the most attractive class of materials; its technical applications range from its utility as a sensor and catalyst to its utility in biomedical processes. The present paper focuses first on the synthesis of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles through co-precipitation method resulting in calcined nanoparticles that were achieved at different times and at a constant temperature (773 k). Afterward, they were dispersed in water that was mixed by chitosan. Chitosan was bonded on the surface of nanoparticles by controlling the pH of media. In order to assess the structural and magnetic properties of nanoparticles, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses were conducted at room temperature. As per the results of XRD analysis, the pure NiFe₂O₄ was synthesized. Additionally, nanoparticles grew in size by extending the calcination process duration. TEM micrographs were used to determine the size and shape of particle; the obtained results indicate that the particle size was in a range of 17–30 nm and of a circular shape. The proper chitosan covering was also indicated by FTIR results. The VSM analysis also revealed that the saturated magnetization of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles stood in a range of 29 emu/g and 45 Q_e. A stable maximum temperature ranging from 30 to 42 was successfully achieved within 10 min. Also, a specific absorption rate of up to 8.4 W/g was achieved. The study results revealed that the SAR parameter of the coated nickel ferrite nanoparticle is more than that of pure nickel ferrite or cobalt ferrite nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of SrFe12O19 magnetic nanoparticles by EDTA complex method

A modified polyacrylamide gel route was used to prepare SrFe₁₂O₁₉ magnetic nanoparticles; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used as a carboxyl chelating agent. The phase purity, morphology and magnetic properties of as-prepared samples were analyzed via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM). XRD analysis indicates that high-purity SrFe₁₂O₁₉ magnetic nanoparticles can be synthesized at 700°C in air. The characteristic peaks of as-prepared sample at 210, 283, 321, 340, 381, 411, 432, 475, 532, 618, 686, and 726 cm^–1 were observed in Raman spectra. SEM and TEM show that the synthesized SrFe₁₂O₁₉ magnetic nanoparticles are uniform with the mean particle size of ~60 nm. VSM measurement shows that the maximum magnetic energy product (BH)_max of sample prepared using EDTA as a chelating agent is higher than that of sample prepared using citric acid as a chelating agent.

     

Synthesis,characterization and evaluation of nanocrystalline anatase titania for the degradation of dibutyl phosphate

Degradation of dibutyl phosphate (DBP) in aqueous solution was successfully demonstrated in this paper using nanoparticles of anatase titania. Nanocrystalline anatase titania employed for the degradation study was synthesized in house by solgel route under stirring mode using titanium ethoxide precursor. The catalyst was characterized using XRD, DRS, BET, TEM, TG–DTA and Raman spectroscopy to establish the catalytic activity and surface morphology. A cylindrical photoreactor was used for the photocatalytic experiments. 10 mg of nano anatase titania and 0.5 mL of 30 % H₂O₂ were used as catalysts for the degradation of 1,000 mL of 240 mg/L DBP. Ion chromatographic procedure was used for following the DBP degradation. More than 95 % of DBP degradation could be in less than 45 min and the kinetics of DBP was found to follow pseudo first order. It was demonstrated that the photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized titania was better than P-25 titania.     

Preparation of AgBr/DyVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> composite and its excellent photocatalytic activity in RhB degradation under visible light

A AgBr/DyVO₄ composite photocatalyst was synthesized by a hydrothermal method for the first time. The physical and chemical structure and optical properties of the composite catalysts were investigated by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM and UV–Vis. It was found that the prepared photocatalyst is a ternary composite of DyVO₄, AgBr and Ag. A photodegradation experiment and a cyclic test verified that the composite catalyst has high activity and stability, indicating that the photocatalyst has a wide application potential. The optimal AgBr/DyVO₄ sample can degrade 85% of RhB (20 ppm) under visible light irradiation for 12 min. The degradation rate reaches 0.290 min^?1, which is 14.5 times higher than that of AgBr. The high activity can be ascribed to the coupling effect between AgBr, DyVO₄ and Ag, which leads to high separation efficiency of electrons and holes.     

Hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO2 spherical clusters of nanorods: Large-scale synthesis and high photocatalytic activity

In this study, we report the synthesis of hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO₂ spherical clusters of nanorods photocatalyst on a large scale via a soft interface approach. This catalyst showed much higher photocatalytic activity than the famous commercial titania (Degussa P25) under visible light (λ>420 nm). The resulting sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, ¹H solid magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. On the basis of characterization results, we found that the doping of chlorine resulted in red shift of absorption and higher surface acidity as well as crystal defects in the photocatalyst, which were the reasons for high photocatalytic activity of chlorine-doped TiO₂ under visible light (λ>420 nm). These hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO₂ spherical clusters of nanorods are very attractive in the fields of environmental pollutants removal and solar cell because of their easy separation and high activity.     

Assessment of operating parameters for photocatalytic degradation of a textile dye by Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/clinoptilolite nanocatalyst using Taguchi experimental design

In the current study, a nanophotocatalyst doped with of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles supported on Iranian clinoptilolite was synthesized and characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, and EDX analyses. The results suggested the successful loading of TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles onto the surface of clinoptilolite. The SEM images confirmed the average size of nanoparticles deposited on zeolite, which was about 20–40 nm. Furthermore, application of the synthesized photocatalyst in photocatalytic degradation of Acid Black 172 dye was studied using the Taguchi method and the chosen parameters were as follows: pH (2–7), dye concentration (50–200 mg/l), irradiation time (30–120 min), and catalyst dosage (0.5–1.5 g/l). The results indicate that dye concentration, pH, and irradiation time are respectively the most effective factors in these experiments while with the minimum dosage of the catalyst (0.5 g/l), up to 90 % removal efficiency could be achieved. The optimum value for each parameter was pH = 2, dye concentration = 50 mg/l, catalyst dosage = 1 g/l and irradiation time = 60 min, and the dye removal efficiency reached up to 100 % at these optimal conditions. Furthermore, after five-times recycling and reusing the catalyst, the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation was reduced from 91.5 to 65.9 %, which is still an acceptable value.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity for water-splitting reaction of nanocrystalline mesoporous titania prepared by hydrothermal method

Nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO₂ was synthesized by hydrothermal method using titanium butoxide as starting material. XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses revealed that the synthesized TiO₂ had anatase structure with crystalline size of about 8 nm. Moreover, the synthesized titania possessed a narrow pore size distribution with average pore diameter and high specific surface area of 215 m²/g. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized TiO₂ was evaluated with photocatalytic H₂ production from water-splitting reaction. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized TiO₂ treated with appropriate calcination temperature was considerably higher than that of commercial TiO₂ (Ishihara ST-01). The utilization of mesoporous TiO₂ photocatalyst with high crystallinity of anatase phase promoted great H₂ production. Furthermore, the reaction temperature significantly influences the water-splitting reaction.     

Green Synthesis of Magnetic Zeolite LTA using NaOH Activated Fly Ash

The magnetic zeolite LTA was successfully synthesized using NaOH activated fly ash. The properties of the magnetic zeolite LTA were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET, and VSM. We can be concluded that the synthesized composite consists of zeolite LTA and magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle. The nitrogen adsorption technique confirmed that the magnetic zeolite LTA exhibits a specifific surface area of 10.0183 m² · g^–1, which is much larger than that of the fly ash. VSM result confirms that the magnetization saturation value of the magnetic zeolite LTA is 10.06 emu · g^–1. Therefore, the magnetic zeolite LTA could be easily separated from the liquid phase using a magnet.     

Synthesis of CaWO4:Er3+@SiO2 and CaWO4:Tm3+@SiO2 nano-particles via a combustion pathway and study of their optical properties

Use of citric acid as a chelating agent and fuel, ammonium nitrate as fuel, boric acid as flux material and silica as supports, CaWO₄:Ln³⁺@SiO₂ (Ln = Er and Tm) nanoparticles were synthesized via a combustion reaction at 800 °C. Characterization of the samples was performed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), reflectance UV–Vis spectrophotometer, fluorescence spectrophotometer (PL) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). XRD patterns showed that tetragonal crystalline structure of scheelite and silica supports were formed, and that the formation of a silica support could enhance the luminescence intensity of CaWO₄:Ln³⁺. The reflectance UV–Vis and PL spectra indicated the broad absorption band of WO₄ ^2? groups about 240 nm, the WO₄ ^2? wide excitation band with maximum at 240 nm, a broad emission band of WO₄ ^2? with maximum about 420 nm, and characteristic emissions of Ln³⁺ ions. According to the TEM analysis, CaWO₄:Er³⁺@SiO₂ and CaWO₄:Tm³⁺@SiO₂ nanoparticles have almost the same morphology with average particle sizes about 50 nm.     

Synthesis, characterization, and adsorption kinetics of titania nanotubes for basic dye wastewater treatment

Titanium dioxide has been recognized as an excellent photocatalyst material applied on many fields especially for environmental science or engineering. However, the effect of acid washing treatment on the morphology or phase and pore structures of titania nanotubes (TNs) has not still been clearly investigated. The variation of morphology, formation mechanism, phase structure, and pore structure of TN were thus characterized with FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, and N₂ BET isotherms, respectively in the present work. Titania nanotube synthesized via a simple hydrothermal chemical process formed a crystalline structure with open-ended and multiwall morphologies. The XRD patterns and N₂ BET isotherms implied that the acid washing techniques could improve the TN surface area and the pore size distribution up to 292 m²?g^?1 and 40–60 nm, respectively. According to EXAFS/XANES spectra, the structure of the TN is closer to the anatase specimen and much more correlated with octahedral structure. Effects of the pore structure variation on basic dye (Basic Green 5 (BG5)) adsorption by TN were discussed in the present work. Moreover, the adsorption ability, mechanisms, and kinetics of BG5 dye onto TN were also examined with the aid of model analyses of the adsorption equilibrium and kinetic data. Therefore, the potential of TN for the removal of BG5 dye contaminant from wastewaters implied that further development would be warranted.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline TiO2 co-doped with nitrogen and cobalt(II)

Nitrogen-modified cobalt-doped TiO₂ materials were successfully prepared via a modified sol–gel method. The structure and properties of the catalysts were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, ultraviolet–visible light diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–Vis DRS), N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the pure and co-doped TiO₂ samples indicate that the predominant phase was anatase. The average grain size obtained from TEM was approximately 10 nm. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis results indicate that the specific surface area was 77.7 m² g^?1. The UV–Vis DRS results for the co-doped sample reveal an absorption edge that had been red-shifted to 500 nm. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated through photodegradation of papermaking wastewater under UV and visible light irradiation. Compared with the cobalt-doped TiO₂ sample and Degussa P25, the 3 mol% N-doped mesoporous N/Co-TiO₂ photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, which can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of the N and Co co-doping.     

Magnetically recyclable Pd/γ-AlOOH@Fe_3O_4 catalysts and their catalytic performance for the Heck coupling reaction

Novel magnetically recyclable Pd/γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 catalysts were prepared using γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 as a magnetic supporter and nano-Pd particles as the active catalytic component.The structure of the catalysts was characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),N2 adsorption-desorption,and a vibration sample magnetometer(VSM).The catalytic activity and recyclability for the Heck coupling reaction were investigated.Results showed that the magnetic γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 possessed a core-shell structure,as well as that the nano-Pd particles were 6–8 nm and had been well dispersed in the γ-AlOOH shell.In the Heck coupling reactions,the magnetic Pd/γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 catalysts exhibited good catalytic activity and recyclability.For the(0.021 mol%)Pd/γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 catalyst,the bromobenzene conversion and product yield reached about 100%and 96.3%,respectively,under a 120°C reaction temperature and 12 h reaction time.After being recycled 8 times,the conversion of bromobenzene and the recovery of the catalyst were about 90%and 93%,respectively.The nano-Pd particles were kept well dispersed in the used Pd/γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 catalyst.     

Steam pre-reforming of natural gas over nanostructured Ni/12CaO–7Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalyst for hydrogen production: effect of support preparation method

Calcium aluminate (12CaO–7Al₂O₃) powder was synthesized using three methods, viz. Pechini, coprecipitation, and a new novel facile decomposition route starting from activated alumina and calcium nitrate precursors, then used as a support to prepare a series of 31 wt%Ni/12CaO–7Al₂O₃ catalysts by deposition–precipitation method. The resultant catalysts were tested in steam pre-reforming of natural gas at 400–550 °C, low steam-to-carbon (S/C) molar ratio of 1.5, and atmospheric pressure. The obtained samples were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), hydrogen chemisorption, and CO₂–temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Experimental results showed that the basicity and morphology of the supports depended significantly on the synthesis method. Calcium aluminate synthesized using the new decomposition procedure showed surface area of 6.23 m² g^?1, while the surface area of those prepared by the Pechini and coprecipitation method were 1.38 and 3.76 m² g^?1, respectively. The catalytic properties of the 31 wt%Ni/12CaO–7Al₂O₃ catalysts were strongly influenced by the support preparation approach. The highest specific surface area (about 230 m² g^?1), smallest Ni particle size (8.86 nm), and highest nickel dispersion (7.48%) were observed for the catalyst whose support was synthesized by the decomposition method. Even at high gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 2 × 10⁵ mL \({\text{g}}^{ - 1}_{\text{catalyst}}\) h^?1, this catalyst exhibited around 100% C₂H₆ and C₃H₈ conversion at temperature above 500 °C. High catalytic stability during 60 h time on-stream was also shown. The TPO profiles of the spent catalyst demonstrated high resistance to carbon formation.     

Synthesis of hexagonal zeolite Y from Kankara kaolin using a split technique

Synthesis of hexagonal zeolite Y from Kankara kaolin using a split technique is presented. The technique entails splitting kaolin to alumina and silica components. These components were further recombined to synthesize zeolite Y. The as-synthesized NaY zeolite was transformed to REY zeolite. Characterizations of the as-synthesized zeolite Y were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) texture analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Catalytic desulfurization of the as-synthesized REY zeolite was studied using microwave assisted desulfurization of model diesel. The Si/Al molar ratio of the as-synthesized NaY zeolite was 4.27. The crystallinity of the as-synthesized NaY and REY zeolites were 79.1 and 56.5% respectively. The as-synthesized NaY and REY zeolites possessed hexagonal morphology with average crystal sizes of 200 and 100 nm respectively. The specific surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of the as-synthesized NaY zeolite were 732 m² g^?1, 0.2611 cm³ g^?1 and 1.426 nm respectively. The specific surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of the as-synthesized REY zeolite were 456 m² g^?1, 0.1591 cm³ g^?1 and 1.395 nm respectively. Zeolite Y synthesized using the split technique possessed physiochemical properties comparable to the commercial zeolite Y, it was also free of quartz and competing phase impurities reported in previous works. The as-synthesized REY zeolite resulted to 79% sulfur reduction when used as a catalyst in a microwave desulfurization of model diesel at 100?°C for 15 min.     

Green chemistry approach for the synthesis of PbSnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

We report synthesis of light-induced heterogeneous photocatalyst PbSnO₃ by green chemistry approach, using mechanochemical method. The synthesized catalyst was characterized physically by various analytical investigative techniques like UV-DRS, FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDAX, TEM, and TG. The product corresponded to average particle size of 100 nm by TEM images. Photocatalytic activity of PbSnO₃ was studied by photodegradation of Methyl blue, Indigo carmine, and Acid violet dyes under sunlight. The results indicate that the sunlight stimulates a photochemical reaction and successfully complete mineralization of Methyl blue, Indigo carmine, and Acid violet dyes. Antimicrobial activity shows that PbSnO₃ photocatalyst was found non-toxic to the environment.     

Red water treatment by photodegradation process in presence of modified TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles and validation of treatment efficiency by MLR technique

An active photocatalyst under sunlight irradiation was proposed for treatment of red water of TNT production process. The nanoparticles of TiO₂/S_0.05,Zn_0.05 were prepared by the sol–gel method and were verified by XRD pattern, TEM image, EDXS analysis, BET analysis and DRS spectra. The proposed photocatalyst showed the surface area of 146 m² g^?1, anatase and rutile phases and band-gap energy of 2.92 eV. The prepared nanoparticles were used as photocatalyst in treatment of red water under UV lamp and sun irradiations. The photodegradation process was optimized in conditions of 5 g L^?1 of photocatalyst, irradiation time of 4 h and dilution times of 1000 of real samples. The treatment efficiency of 76 and 69 % and rate constants of 0.368 and 0.319 h^?1 were obtained under UV and sun irradiations, respectively. The multiple linear regression as a statistic technique was used for study of validation and verification of four factors of mole fraction of S dopant, the irradiation intensity of UV lamp, the dose of photocatalyst and dilution times on samples as predictor’s on the treatment efficiency of red water as the response variable. The output of MLR showed the obtained P values <0.05 in confidence level of 95 % for all of the variables. Thus, the null hypothesis is rejected, and a meaningful addition is observed in the model because changes in the predictor’s value are related to changes in the response variable.     

One-Pot Green Synthesis of Hematite (α-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>) Nanoparticles by Ultrasonic Irradiation and Their In Vitro Cytotoxicity on Human Keratinocytes CRL-2310

Greener and ecofriendly approaches to the synthesis of hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles are important for various biomedical applications. The authors describe on a facile, one-pot method for synthesizing hematite nanoparticles (HNPs) using ultrasonic irradiation of iron(III) oxide solution containing the aqueous root extract of Arisaema amurense, which was used as both reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized HNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). FT-IR analysis indicated the presence of stabilizing groups such as hydroxyl (–OH), C–O, and amide (–NH–) on the surfaces of HNPs. TEM analysis revealed the formation of near spherical HNPs of average size 24.55 ± 6.9 nm. VSM confirmed the ferromagnetic nature of the HNPs with a saturation magnetization (Ms) at 1.25 emu/g and remanent magnetization (Mr) at 0.50 emu/g at 301 K. The electrochemical behavior of glassy carbon (GC)/HNPs electrode was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV). MTT assays of the HNPs exhibited in vitro concentration-dependent cytotoxicity to human keratinocytes CRL-2310, which indicated the synthesized HNPs are compatible with requirements for in vivo biomedical applications at lower concentrations.     

可磁分离二氧化钛光催化剂的制备及其光催化性能

通过液相催化相转化的方法制备了一种可磁分离的光催化剂TiO₂/SiO₂/NiFe₂O₄(TSN),这种光催化剂显示出了超顺磁性,能够通过外加磁场方便的实现催化剂在水中的分离与回收。该光催化剂的X-射线衍射和TEM结果表明：纳米TiO₂颗粒包裹在磁性颗粒-SiO₂/NiFe₂O₄(SN)的周围形成TiO₂层。利用光催化降解甲基橙的效果来考察了这种光催化剂的活性,结果表明：在NiFe₂O₄和TiO₂之间包覆一层无定型的SiO₂,可以显著的提高催化剂的脱色效果,3次循环后,仍能保持良好的催化活性。     

Synthesis of nanostructured titania/zirconia membrane and investigation of its physical separation and photocatalytic properties in treatment of textile industries wastewater

Nanostructured TiO₂/ZrO₂ composite membranes with varying compositions were obtained by sol–gel technique. The influence of 0–30 mol% zirconia doping on microstructure, water permeability, photocatalytic and physical separation properties, removal of methyl violet of textile industries wastewater and thermal and mechanical stability of titania/zirconia composite membranes was described. Firstly, alumina supports were coated with TiO₂ intermediate layers using the colloidal sol–gel route. The TiO₂/ZrO₂ composite sols were prepared via a polymeric sol–gel method and dip-coated on TiO₂ intermediate layer. The samples were characterized by DLS, TG-DTA, XRD, FTIR, BET-BJH, UV–visible, SEM, TEM and AFM. It was shown that zirconia retards the phase transformation of anatase to rutile until at least 700 °C. The minimum pore size and maximum surface area obtained were 1.2 nm and 153 m²/g, respectively, attributed to the sample with 20 mol% zirconia. The mechanical strength of titania membranes was significantly improved by addition of zirconia. The most methyl violet removal efficiency obtained, with and without UV-irradiation, is 80.8 and 72.6%, respectively, attributed to the sample with 20 mol% zirconia.