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Potato starch-assisted green synthesis of nanoferrite and ferrite–semiconductor nanocomposites for effective visible light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

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Abstract

Biodegradable potato starch-assisted nanoferrite and ferrite–semiconductor nanocomposites have been synthesized by the co-precipitation method for the degradation of MB dye under visible light irradiation. Ferrite and ferrite–semiconductor composites synthesized using biodegradable potato starch displayed remarkable dye degradation activity which can be further explored for photocatalysis application. XRD confirms the pure phases for Fe3O4 (FFO) and ZnO–Fe3O4 (ZFFO), but a secondary SITO phase for TiO2–Fe3O4 (TFFO) and microwave-annealed TiO2–Fe3O4 (TFFO-MWA) due to dynamics between Fe, Ti, and NaOH. FTIR and Raman spectra confirmed the characteristic peaks of the starch surfactant and ferrite and/or semiconducting phase. TEM micrographs demonstrated mixed morphology: spherical particles of size 5–10 nm and rod shape of size 14–67 nm in length and 4–21 nm in diameter. XPS showed different valence states along with satellite peaks besides confirming the elemental composition. BET studies showed type-IV isotherms with H3 adsorption hysteresis indicative of mesoporous structures with ZFFO having the highest surface area (85.9 m2 g−1), minimum pore size, and maximum pore volume, while TFFO-MWA having the lowest surface area (19.1 m2 g−1), maximum pore size, and minimum pore volume. The direct bandgap of FFO, ZFFO, TFFO, and TFFO-MWA samples is found to be 2.50, 2.47, 3.18, and 3.16 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of MB dye under visible light irradiation was achieved to be 93% in 285 min by FFO, 96% in 150 min by ZFFO, 99% in 180 min by TFFO, and 99% in 90 min by TFFO-MWA. The R2 values of adsorption kinetics studies validated that the kinetics can be best described by the first-order model for FFO, TFFO, TFFO-MWA, and second-order model for ZFFO considering the maximum R2 values being established.

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Acknowledgements

M. Chandrika would like to acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology for providing funding through the DST-FIST Level-1 scheme to the Department of Physics, KLEF; File No: SR/FST/PS-1/2018/35. A. V. Ravindra acknowledges the financial support provided by Yunnan Province Post-Doctoral Training Fund-2018 and Kunming University of Science and Technology for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Complex Nonferrous Metal Resources Clean Utilization, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan, 650093, China

    A. V. Ravindra, Shu Yi Wang & Shaohua Ju

  2. Key Laboratory of Unconventional Metallurgy, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan, 650093, China

    A. V. Ravindra, Shu Yi Wang & Shaohua Ju

  3. Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan, 650093, China

    A. V. Ravindra, Shu Yi Wang & Shaohua Ju

  4. Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur, Tamilnadu, 603203, India

    A. V. Ravindra

  5. Advanced Functional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, 522502, India

    M. Chandrika

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  1. M. Chandrika
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Chandrika, M., Ravindra, A.V., Wang, S.Y. et al. Potato starch-assisted green synthesis of nanoferrite and ferrite–semiconductor nanocomposites for effective visible light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. J Mater Sci 57, 2610–2626 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-021-06701-8

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