https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2022220212
Regular Article
Enhanced photocatalytic degradation property of surfactant-free cobalt oxide nanocapsules on methylene blue dye
1
Department of Physics, Government College of Engineering, Dharmapuri 636704, Tamilnadu, India
2
Department of Physics, Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur, Krishnagiri 635109, Tamilnadu, India
3
Department of Physics, Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore 641 006, India
* e-mail: marijpr@gmail.com
Received:
2
August
2022
Received in final form:
4
November
2022
Accepted:
22
December
2022
Published online: 25 January 2023
The transition metal oxides are emerging materials in solving existing environmental problems of removal of organic dye from the industrial wastes. Out of many transition metal oxides, cobalt oxide is one such potential material of low cost, easy to synthesis, eco-friendly and easily separable from mixtures due to its magnetic property. Herein a facile surfactant-free synthesis route has been adopted for the preparation of Co3O4 nanocapsules (Co 600) which exhibited a better photocatalytic degradation activity. The structure, morphology and optical behaviours were studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) analyses respectively and vibration modes of Co 600 were studied using Raman analysis. The photocatalytic degradation studies of Co 600 on methylene blue (MB) were carried out under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The examined results showed that the Co 600 exhibited narrow band gap of about 1.65 eV which has better photocatalytic degradation activity on MB with degradation efficiency of about 99% in 90 minute with a rate constant of about 0.064. This might be attributed due to enhanced charge separation, charge transfer and the creation of OH– and O2– radicals under UV irradiation. In addition, the samples were easily recovered from the dye solution using an external magnetic field.
© EDP Sciences, 2023
