Journal of King Saud University: Science (Mar 2020)
High performance of pyrochlore like Sm2Ti2O7 heterojunction photocatalyst for efficient degradation of rhodamine-B dye with waste water under visible light irradiation
Abstract
Binary metal oxide heterojunctions possibly will exclude the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers via interfacial charge transfer in assessment among the single-component photocatalytic material. Highly ordered samarium doped titania nanosphere have paid more attention to the exclusion of toxic organic pollutants. Tuning the shape, size, morphology, bandgap and defect optimization of titanium oxides (Sm2Ti2O7) improved as an enhanced catalyst which was synthesized by using the capping agent also acts as a reducing agent. Herein, we examine an environmentally pleasant Sm2Ti2O7 nanosphere with its various properties via assorted characterization techniques and wrapping of nanosphere makes them appropriate catalysts for the degradation of toxic dyes and show the highest efficiency via irradiation of visible light by declining the option of the exciton-recombination process. Therefore, the photocatalyst was found to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) both in the presence and absence of light, which is responsible for the decomposition of dyes into small fractions. In addition, HRTEM study reveals that the nanospheres are highly porous nature with high active surface area and small grain size are reported in detail. Keywords: Sm2Ti2O7 nanosphere, Optical properties, Electron spectroscopy, Rhodamine-B dye, Photocatalytic activity