Fabrication of hybrid covalent triazine framework-zinc ferrite spinel to uplift visible light-driven photocatalytic organic pollutant degradation.

The tunability of porous covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) can mitigate poor photostability and rapid hole-electron recombination. Herein, an excellent improvement of visible light-driven photocatalytic pollutant degradation was achieved using a hybrid semiconductor of covalent triazine framework-zinc ferrite spinel catalysts (CTF-ZnFe2O4). The as-prepared CTF-ZnFe2O4 composites were fabricated using a facile one-pot ionothermal method. The hybrid photocatalysts were identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and UV-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) characterizations. The analysis reveals that hybridization successfully ensued and altered the crystallinity structure, morphology, surface area, and bandgap energy of hybrid material. It was found that CTF-ZnFe2O4 90:10 is very effective for the degradation of MB in a UV-vis light photocatalytic process with the efficiency of 95.4% and kobs of 0.421 min-1 for degradation of 50 mg/L MB with 0.5 g/L dosages for 120 min. Additionally, the scavenger study, effect of additional oxidants, and stability were performed for the practical application of a hybrid photocatalyst. CTF-ZnFe2O4 90:10 shows outstanding pollutant degradation in sunlight irradiation and high stability with only a 5.2% reduction after a five-times sequential recycling process. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism of as-prepared CTF-ZnFe2O4 was mainly influenced by [Formula: see text] radical compared to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] radicals. Overall, The as-prepared CTF-ZnFe2O4 shows significant potential to be utilized for photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

Sol-Gel Synthesis and Characterization of Yttrium-Doped MgFe2O4 Spinel.

In this study, an environmentally friendly sol-gel synthetic approach was used for the preparation of yttrium-doped MgFe2O4. Two series of compounds with different iron content were synthesized and A-site substitution effects were investigated. In the first series, the iron content was fixed and the charge balance was suggested to be compensated by a partial reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ or formation of interstitial O2- ions. For the second series of samples, the iron content was reduced in accordance with the substitution level to compensate for the excess of positive charge, which accumulates due to replacing divalent Mg2+ with trivalent Y3+ ions. Structural, morphological and magnetic properties were inspected. It was observed that single-phase compounds can only form when the substitution level reaches 20 mol% of Y3+ ions and iron content is reduced. The coercivity as well as saturation magnetization decreased with the increase in yttrium content. Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the iron content in both tetrahedral and octahedral positions.

Magnesium ferrite spinels as anode modifier for the treatment of Congo red and energy recovery in a single chambered microbial fuel cell.

Magnesium Ferrite (MgFe2O4) spinel structures prepared by a solid-state reaction was used as an anode modifier in the microbial fuel cell (MFC) treatment of Congo red dye. The performance of the reactors with unmodified stainless-steel mesh anode (CR-1) and MgFe2O4 coated stainless steel mesh anode (CR-2) were tested and compared followed by aerobic treatment. The peak power density was observed to be 295.936 (CR-1) and 430.336 mW/m2 (CR-2) revealing increased bioenergy output and better electron transfer in the reactor with the MgFe2O4 modified anode. The final decolourisation efficiencies were found to be 92.053% for CR-1 and 98.386% for CR-2. The formation of metabolites (diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, 1-(biphenyl-4-yl)-2-(naphthalene-2-yl) diazene, benzidine and phthalic acid, monoethyl ether) during the anaerobic-aerobic biotreatment of azo dye was confirmed using Gas chromatography coupled Mass spectrometry system. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed a uniform coating of MgFe2O4 on the anode surface with evidence of biofilm formation in the system. Electrochemical studies confirmed the superior performance of spinel coated anode with enhanced redox activity. In addition, the charge-discharge studies confirmed the high capacitive nature of the modified electrode improving the electrodes charge holding capacity. The study suggested an effective treatment strategy for the treatment of Congo red dye.

Pt-Doped NiFe2O4 Spinel as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for H2 Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO at Room Temperature.

H2 selective catalytic reduction (H2-SCR) has been proposed as a promising technology for controlling NOx emission because hydrogen is clean and does not emit greenhouse gases. We demonstrate that Pt doped into a nickel ferrite spinel structure can afford a high catalytic activity of H2-SCR. A superior NO conversion of 96% can be achieved by employing a novel NiFe1.95Pt0.05O4 spinel-type catalyst at 60 °C. This novel catalyst is different from traditional H2-SCR catalysts, which focus on the role of metallic Pt species and neglect the effect of oxidized Pt states in the reduction of NO. The obtained Raman and XPS spectra indicate that Pt in the spinel lattice has different valence states with Pt(2+) occupying the tetrahedral sites and Pt(4+) residing in the octahedral ones. These oxidation states of Pt enhance the back-donation process, and the lack of filling electrons of the 5d band causes Pt to more readily hybridize with the 5σ orbital of the NO molecule, especially for octahedral Pt(4+), which enhances the NO chemisorption on the Pt sites. We also performed DFT calculations to confirm the enhancement of adsorption of NO onto Pt sites when doped into the Ni-Fe spinel structure. The prepared Pt/Ni-Fe catalysts indicate that increasing the dispersity of Pt on the surfaces of the individual Ni-Fe spinel-type catalysts can efficiently promote the H2-SCR activity. Our demonstration provides new insight into designing advanced catalysts for H2-SCR.