Abstract:
A good approach for the photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye under UV-Visible
irradiation is the use of Gadolinium-doped Nickel-Ferrites as a photocatalyst that showed the
high photocatalytic activity, highly magnetic separability and cost-effective results. The
nanoparticles of Gadolinium-doped Nickel-Ferrites (NiGdxFe2-xO4, x=1 %, 3 %, 5%) were
prepared by using hydrothermal synthesis route. The structural and morphological properties
of the synthesized nanoparticles studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron
microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive
spectroscopy (EDX), UV-visible spectroscopy, and Photoluminescence (PL). The structural
morphology showed that prepared samples are uniform. The structural properties confirmed
to be in good agreement for both XRD, and SEM results and confirmed the cubical nature of
the prepared spinel. Furthermore, the increase in size of the nanoparticles with increase in
Gd3+ contents, confirmed from the diffraction peaks and SEM analysis. The size of
crystallites ranged in 42-48nm evaluated by using Debye-Sharrer’s formula from more
intense diffraction peak. The composition of the prepared specimen confirmed by Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), that showed to sharp absorption bands from 400
cm-1
and 600 cm-1
.Photocatalysis carried out to check the photocatalytic activity of the
synthesized nanoparticles having different concentrations of Gd3+
, for the degradation of
Methylene Blue (MB) dye under UV-Visible light. The photocatalytic activity checked,
resulted 8%, 27%, 41% and 80% for host nickel ferrites and Gd doped nickel ferrites
respectively, for the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye under UV-Visible irradiation
only in 50 mins, it is concluded that the photocatalytic activity increased by increasing
reaction time and the concentration of Gd3+ in nickel ferrites, and this can be increased up to
80 %. The prepared nanoparticles (nickel ferrites with various Gd3+ contents) attested to be
cost effective, eco-friendly, reusable after recycling, high magnetic separability after use,
and high photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye under
UV-Visible irradiation.
