Visible light-active samarium manganite nanostructures for enhanced water-soluble pollutant degradation.

In this study, a green approach was used to synthesize SmMnO3 magnetic nanoparticles via the auto combustion method, where pomegranate juice was utilized as a natural fuel. The concentration of fuel was varied to investigate its effect on the purity and morphology of SmMnO3 nanoparticles. The physiochemical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles, including crystal structures, morphology, optical, and magnetic properties, were investigated using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The band gap of the as-synthesized nanoparticles was determined to be 1.8 eV, indicating their potential as a photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of SmMnO3 nanoparticles was evaluated against Methyl violet and Erythrosine, and the mechanism of photocatalyst was determined using EDTA, benzoic acid, and benzoquinone as scavengers. Photocatalytic activity was studied in both UV and visible light, and it was found that the maximum degradation (94%) was related to the degradation of Erythrosine (10 ppm) in the presence of visible light. The stability test of SmMnO3 performed and confirmed the stability of nanoparticles after 5 cycles. The results suggest that SmMnO3 nanoparticles synthesized via the green auto combustion method using pomegranate juice as a natural fuel can serve as a promising photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants in the environment. Further studies can be conducted to investigate their potential in other applications.

Pechini synthesis and characteristics of Gd2CoMnO6 nanostructures and its structural, optical and photocatalytic properties.

GCMO NSs were synthesized by the reaction of metal nitrate salts in the presence of stabilizing agent and PG, by a Pechini method. Citric acid, maleic acid, succinic acid and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid were used as stabilizing agents. The structure, morphology, optical, magnetic and photocatalytic properties of the GCMO NSs were investigated using various characterization techniques. Effects of type of stabilizing agent, the molar ratio of stabilizing agent:PG and also calcination temperature on particle size and morphology of the products were investigated. Also the influence of kind of pollutant on photocatalytic behavior of GCMO NSs was evaluated.

Biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles prepared from two novel natural precursors by facile thermal decomposition methods.

In this work, two natural sources, including pomegranate peel extract and cochineal dye were employed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The natural silver complex from pomegranate peel extract resulted in nano-sized structures through solution-phase method, but this method was not efficient for cochineal dye-silver precursor and the as-formed products were highly agglomerated. Therefore, an alternative facile solid-state approach was investigated as for both natural precursors and the results showed successful production of well-dispersed nanoparticles with narrow size distribution for cochineal dye-silver precursor. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).