Hydrothermal Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Mn3O4 Nanoparticles

• Published in: Topics in catalysis Vol. 66; no. 1-4; pp. 126 - 138
• Main Authors: Lett, J. Anita, Alshahateet, Solhe F., Fatimah, Is, Sivasankaran, Ramesh Poonchi, Sibhatu, Assefu Kassegn, Le, Minh-Vien, Sagadevan, Suresh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Catalysis; Catalytic activity; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Decomposition reactions; Field emission microscopy; Homogeneity; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Manganese oxides; Methylene blue; Morphology; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Original Paper; Oxidizing agents; Pharmacy; Photocatalysis; Photodecomposition; Photon correlation spectroscopy; Physical Chemistry; Polyvinyl alcohol; Solar radiation; Synthesis; X ray powder diffraction; X ray spectra; NPs; Mn; Photocatalytic activity; Hydrothermal synthesis; Optical properties; Nanostructures; O
• ISSN: 1022-5528; 1572-9028
• DOI: 10.1007/s11244-022-01710-6

In this work, Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method using the precursor manganese acetate and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a as a structure directing agent. The synthesized Mn 3 O 4 NPs were systematically characterized in terms of their morphology, surfaces, as well as their crystalline and photocatalytic activity. Powder X-ray diffraction results confirm the crystalline structure of Mn 3 O 4 with a tetragonal phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed a mixed rod-like morphology and rougsurface spherical particle. The energy dispersive X-ray spectra confirm the homogeneity and purity of the Mn 3 O 4 nanostructure. Further, the hydrodynamic diameter of the synthesized Mn 3 O 4 NPs in water was determined using the dynamic light scattering method. The synthesized Mn 3 O 4 sample showed photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue (MB), and the photodecomposition reaction was described as better with pseudo first order than the second order reaction model. This present work suggests that the prepared Mn 3 O 4 nanostructures are promising photocatalysts for the degradation of MB in an aqueous media under natural solar irradiation for long periods of time without adjusting the pH or introducing an oxidant into the reaction mixture. Graphical Abstract