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Insight in to sunlight-driven rapid photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by hexacyanoferrate-based nanoparticles

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Abstract

Release of colouring agents into the environment alarms the need to design a cheap, quick and safe process. Owing to environmental safety concern, synthesis of two metal hexacyanoferrates (MHCFs) based on cadmium (CdHCF) and manganese (MnHCF) was carried out using natural plant extract of Azadirachta indica and water as a solvent. Synthesized MHCFs were utilized for the removal of an acid dye (fuchsin acid, FA) and a xanthenes dye (rhodamine B, RB). The reactions were optimized at various conditions of dye concentration, catalyst dose, reaction pH, time and source of light. The MHCFs showed excellent results with both the dyes within very limited span of time (2 h). Consequently, 98% of FA and 97% of RB were degraded with 10 mg of CdHCF, at neutral pH and under sunlight. The degradation process followed the first-order reaction kinetics having t1/2 around 0.3 min. The MHCFs exhibited difference of only little percentage in degradation owing to a very slight difference between their surface areas (CdHCF: 54.1 m2 g−1; MnHCF: 49.7 m2 g−1). The synthesised nanocatalysts were stable as indicated by their higher negative zeta potential values. The adsorption of dyes was found to be maximum with CdHCF having Xm value 19.69 mg g−1 and 18.15 mg g−1 for FA and RB, respectively. Photocatalytic degradation involved the main role of hydroxyl radical as indicated by decline in activity of nanocatalyst in the presence of scavengers. All in all, this study presents highly active nanomaterials with higher surface area, stability and semiconducting properties under natural conditions.

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Funding

This work was supported financially by the MHRD, New Delhi. The instrumental aid was provided by the DST-FIST New Delhi. One of the author Dr Manviri Rani is grateful for the financial assistance from DST-SERB, New Delhi (Sanction order no. SRG/2019/000114). And TEQIP-III, MNIT Jaipur, India. Authors also wish to thank IIC, NIT Jalandhar for XRD characterization, TEQIP-III, NIT Jalandhar, for their funding to carry put the research.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302017, India

    Manviri Rani

  2. Department of Chemistry, Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab, 144011, India

    Uma Shanker

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  1. Manviri Rani
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  2. Uma Shanker
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Data curation, investigation, software, validation

Manviri Rani: visualization, writing original draft

Uma Shanker: Supervision, writing review and editing

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Correspondence to Manviri Rani or Uma Shanker.

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Rani, M., Shanker, U. Insight in to sunlight-driven rapid photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by hexacyanoferrate-based nanoparticles. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 5637–5650 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10925-7

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