β-Ga2O3 nanostructures for photocatalytic degradation of red amaranth toxic dye
J R Castillo-Saenz,
D Domínguez,
A Arias,
L A Arce,
M H Farías,
O M Pérez-Landeros,
B Valdez,
N Nedev,
J. López - Medina
Affiliations
J R Castillo-Saenz
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California , Blvd. Benito Juárez s/n, Col. Ex-Ejido Coahuila, C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CNyN), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada s/n, Ensenada B.C., C. P. 22800, México
A Arias
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California , Blvd. Benito Juárez s/n, Col. Ex-Ejido Coahuila, C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
L A Arce
Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CNyN), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada s/n, Ensenada B.C., C. P. 22800, México
M H Farías
Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CNyN), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada s/n, Ensenada B.C., C. P. 22800, México
O M Pérez-Landeros
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California , Blvd. Benito Juárez s/n, Col. Ex-Ejido Coahuila, C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
B Valdez
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California , Blvd. Benito Juárez s/n, Col. Ex-Ejido Coahuila, C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California , Blvd. Benito Juárez s/n, Col. Ex-Ejido Coahuila, C.P. 21280, Mexicali, Baja California, México
J. López - Medina
CONAHCYT—Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CNyN), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) , Km 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada s/n, Ensenada B.C., C.P. 22800, México
Beta gallium oxide ( β -Ga _2 O _3 ) microstructures composed of ∼50 nm nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Using the Tauc plot method a value of ∼4.9 eV was obtained for the optical band gap of β -Ga _2 O _3 . TEM and XRD analyses revealed high crystallinity of the β -phase of gallium oxide nanostructures. Since there are few publications for the photocatalytic properties of β -Ga _2 O _3 the obtained results contribute to better understanding of the photocatalytic effect of this material on toxic dye red amaranth. Moreover, it is shown that β -Ga _2 O _3 is a very efficient photocatalyst leading to high percentage degradation of dyes for relatively short periods. For example, the degradation of red amaranth and rhodamine B toxic dyes under UV light irradiation reached 97% and 100% after 165 and 120 min, respectively.