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Synthesis of pure nano Cr2O3 from chromite ore by a novel method and investigation of its composites with bentonite for their photocatalytic properties

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Abstract

In the present study, nano Cr2O3 was prepared with a novel method from chromite ore. In this method, K2Cr2O7 was prepared by alkaline melting of chromite ore. Then, the precursor complex K3[Cr(C2O4)3] was prepared using potassium dichromate obtained from chromite ore and Merck Co. for comparing their purity. Therefore, two types of nano (Cr2O3)M or ch (M = Merck, ch = chromite ore) were prepared by destructing the gel contained K3[Cr(C2O4)3] and starch as an eco-friendly material for controlling the size and morphology of the nanoparticles. So, these nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FESEM, and EDX. The ball-milled bentonite (B) was used for the preparation of (Cr2O3(n% = 30, 50, and 70%)/B)ch and (Cr2O3(n% = 30, 50%)/B)M nanocomposites. The XRD and FESEM of (Cr2O3(n%)/B)ch and (Cr2O3(n%)/B)M are the same. So, the (Cr2O3(n%)/B)ch nanocomposites were just used for further investigations, such as photocatalytic properties, and analysed by other techniques, including FTIR and DRS. The (Cr2O3(30%)/B)ch showed the highest degradation property, 69% after 240 min, among other prepared nanocomposites to destroy methylene blue with 10 ppm concentration at pH = 10 under UV irradiation. Also, the (Cr2O3(30%)/B)ch could degrade methyl orange with 10 ppm concentration at pH = 7 up to 74% after 240 min. Nano Cr2O3 and bare bentonite efficiency for methylene blue and methyl orange degradation were lower (< 30%) under the same conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

    Maasoumeh Khatamian & Elham Dastar

  2. Faculty of Materials Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran

    Sara Fazli-Shokouhi

  3. Faculty of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

    Shamin Hosseini Nami

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  1. Maasoumeh Khatamian
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MK was involved in supervision, editing. ED helped in investigation, methodology. SFS contributed to writing the original draft, visualization and editing. SHN helped in formal analysis and editing.

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Correspondence to Maasoumeh Khatamian.

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Khatamian, M., Dastar, E., Fazli-Shokouhi, S. et al. Synthesis of pure nano Cr2O3 from chromite ore by a novel method and investigation of its composites with bentonite for their photocatalytic properties. J IRAN CHEM SOC 20, 2805–2819 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-023-02877-9

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