Synthesis of modificated lanthanide nanoperovskites for photocatalytic removal of azo dyes under visible light irradiation

ABSTRACT

The LaNiO₃, LaMnO₃, and LaCoO₃ nanoperovskites and also modificated LaCoO₃ (LaCo_0.8Ni_0.2O₃ and LaCoO_2.9N_0.1) were synthesised by a sol–gel method. The as-prepared samples were systematically characterised by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and UV–vis diffuse spectroscopy. The XRD spectra confirmed the information of perovskite-type structure for all the prepared samples and according to SEM images; the perovskites have spherical shape with particles size less than 50 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the nanoperovskites was evaluated for removal of congo red and direct red 23 under the irradiation of visible light. The doping Ni and N in the LaCoO₃ had a great effect upon its photocatalytic activity and the LaCo_0.8Ni_0.2O₃ and LaCoO_2.9N_0.1 were exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency than parent LaCoO₃ due to narrower band gap, oxygen vacancies, and less agglomeration. The nanoperovskites also were stable during the photocatalytic and recycling processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Nanoperovskite
• photocatalyst
• Azo dyes
• N doping
• Ni doping

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from University of Zanjan and Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

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