Rengaraj Selvaraj

Hierarchical-like multipod γ-MnS microcrystals: solvothermal synthesis, characterization and growth mechanism

Novel hierarchical multipod γ-MnS microcrystals have been successfully synthesized by a simple solvothermal method, in which manganese acetate was used as a manganese source and thiosemicarbazide was used as both sulfur source and capping agent.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of Au/CdS nanorods for a visible-light responsive photocatalyst

In this work, cadmium sulfide (CdS) is used as a visible-light responsive photocatalyst with a narrow band gap (2.42 eV). CdS nanorods were synthesized by a facile and rapid microwave-assisted method and Au dots were decorated on the surface by a reduction method. The additions of the Au dots hinder the recombination of electron–hole pairs and enhance the photocatalytic activity under visible light. The photocatalytic activity of the Au/CdS nanorods was evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation (455 nm LED lamp). The photocatalytic efficiency of Au/CdS nanorods is compared to conventional TiO2 (P25) and CdS-A prepared by an autoclave method, and an improvement of the Au/CdS system, attributed to the reduced band gap energy (2.31 eV) and enhanced absorption in the range of 400 to 800 nm, was observed. The calculated mineralization ratio of MB by Au/CdS nanorods was higher compared to the data presented in the literature. This facile and efficient synthesis route may promote the utilization of Au/CdS nanorods as visible light photocatalysts.

Photo-corrosion inhibition of Ag3PO4 by polyaniline coating

AbstractIn this paper, polyaniline-coated silver phosphate has been successfully prepared via a facile chemisorption method in order to improve the stability of Ag3PO4 under light irradiation. The crystalline phase, band gap energy, and microstructure of the obtained PANI/Ag3PO4 composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of methlylene blue was performed to test the activities of PANI/Ag3PO4 composites with different coating amounts and the results indicate that the stabilities of PANI/Ag3PO4 composites were successfully enhanced. The correlation between photocatalytic performance and the properties of PANI/Ag3PO4 composites is discussed in detail.

Template-free preparation of TiO2 microspheres for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

TiO2 microspheres were successfully synthesised by simple solution phase method by using various amount of titanium butoxide as precursor. The prepared TiO2 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra (UV-DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis revealed that the as-synthesized TiO2 microsphere poses an anatase phase. The photocatalytic degradation experiments were carried out with three different dyes, such as methylene blue, brilliant black, reactive red-120 for four hours under UV light irradiation. The results show that TiO2 morphology had great influence on photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. The experimental results of dye mineralization indicated the concentration was reduced by a high portion of up to 99% within 4 hours. On the basis of various characterization of the photocatalysts, the reactions involved to explain the photocatalytic activity enhancement due to the concentration of titanium butoxide and morphology include a better separation of photogenerated charge carriers and improved oxygen reduction inducing a higher extent of degradation of aromatics.

Nanotechnology: a clean and sustainable technology for the degradation of pharmaceuticals present in water and wastewater

Abstract Pharmaceuticals, newly recognized classes of environmental pollutants, are becoming increasingly problematic contaminants of either surface water or ground water around industrial and residential communities. Pharmaceuticals are constantly released into aquatic environments, mainly due to their widespread consumption and complicated removal in wastewater treatment plants. Heterogeneous photocatalysis appear to be one of the most destructive advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for organic contaminants and are possible to obtain complete mineralization of organic pollutants into eco-friendly end products under visible and solar light irradiation. In this study, flower-like In2S3 hierarchical nanostructures were successfully prepared via a facile solution-phase route, using thioacetamide as both sulfur source and capping agent. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) of the flowers revealed that the cubic structure of In2S3; morphological studies examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the synthesized In2S3 nanostructure was flower-like hierarchitecture assembled from nanoscale flakes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the stoichiometry of In2S3 nanoflowers. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity studies revealed that the prepared indium(III) sulfide(In2S3) nanoflowers exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance, degrading rapidly the aqueous pharmaceutical solution of Lisinopril under visible light irradiation. These results suggest that In2S3 nanoflowers will be a promising candidate of photocatalyst working in thevisible light range.

Nanotechnology in environmental remediation: degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over visible-light-active nanostructured materials

Abstract Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major pollutants and are considered to be one of the most important contaminants generated by human beings living in urban and industrial areas. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a VOC that has been widely used as a gasoline additive to reduce VOC emissions from motor vehicles. However, new gasoline additives like MTBE are having negative environmental impacts. Recent survey reports clearly show that groundwater is often polluted owing to leakage of petroleum products from underground storage tanks. MTBE is highly soluble in water (e.g., 0.35–0.71 M) and has been detected at high concentrations in groundwater. The presence of MTBE in groundwater poses a potential health problem. The documented effects of MTBE exposure are headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, cough, muscle aches, sleepiness, disorientation, dizziness, and skin and eye irritation. To address these problems, photocatalytic treatment is the preferred treatment for polluted water. In the present work, a simple and template-free solution phase synthesis method has been developed for the preparation of novel cadmium sulfide (CdS) hollow microspheres using cadmium nitrate and thioacetamide precursors. The synthesized products have been characterized by a variety of methods, including X-ray powder diffraction, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy. The HR-SEM measurements revealed the spherical morphology of the CdS microspheres, which evolved by the oriented aggregation of the primary CdS nanocrystals. Furthermore, studies of photocatalytic activity revealed that the synthesized CdS hollow microspheres exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance in rapidly degrading MTBE in aqueous solution under visible light illumination. These results suggest that CdS microspheres will be an interesting candidate for photocatalytic detoxification studies under visible light radiation.