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Chaudhary RG, Sonkusare V, Bhusari G, Mondal A, Potbhare A, Juneja H, Abdala A, Sharma R. Preparation of mesoporous ThO 2 nanoparticles: Influence of calcination on morphology and visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine and methylene blue. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 222:115363. [PMID: 36716808 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The present article reports the synthesis of thoria nanoparticles (ThO2 NPs) via sol-gel process and examines the effect of calcination temperature of ThO2 on the morphology and photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine (IC) and methylene blue (MB) under visible-light. As-synthesized white crystals of ThO2 were subjected to calcination at different temperatures, viz. 700 °C (TH-700), 800 °C (TH-800), and 900 °C (TH-900). The effect of calcination temperature on the structural, morphological, thermal, surface area-porosity, and optical properties of ThO2 NPs were investigated by diverse analytical techniques. XRD patterns show the cubic-space group Fm-3m (225) with parameter a = 5.597 Å and reveals crystallite sizes increased with calcination temperature. The bandgap energy was found to be 1.85 eV, 2.33 eV, and 2.71 eV for TH-700, TH-800, and TH-900 NPs, respectively, calculated by Kubelka-Munk (KM) plot. SEM and TEM unveil that the sample TH-700 calcined at a low temperature of 700 °C yields assembled nanosheets, while at higher temperatures, i.e., 800 °C (TH-800) and 900 °C (TH-900), produces agglomerated nanomaterials. Further, TH-700 sample exhibits enhanced photocatalytic degradation within 120 min for both IC and MB dye than TH-800 and TH-900 counterparts. Among the dyes, IC shows improved photocatalytic efficiency than MB for TH-700, owing to the increased optical absorption and improved separation of photogenerated charge carriers. The reusability study of TH-700 reveals that the catalysts were stable up to four successive cycles with no drastic changes in photocatalytic efficiency. Also, systematic photodisintegration of IC was investigated by Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratiram Gomaji Chaudhary
- Post Graduate Department of Chemistry, Seth Kesarimal Porwal College of Arts, And Science and Commerce, Kamptee, 441001, India.
| | - Vaishali Sonkusare
- Post Graduate Teaching Department of Chemistry, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, 440033, India.
| | - Ganesh Bhusari
- Research and Development Division, Solar Industries India Limited, Nagpur, 440023, India.
| | - Aniruddha Mondal
- Division of Materials Science, Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, 97187, Sweden.
| | - Ajay Potbhare
- Post Graduate Department of Chemistry, Seth Kesarimal Porwal College of Arts, And Science and Commerce, Kamptee, 441001, India.
| | - Harjeet Juneja
- Post Graduate Teaching Department of Chemistry, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, 440033, India.
| | - Ahmed Abdala
- Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A and M University at Qatar POB, 23784, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Virot M, Dumas T, Cot-Auriol M, Moisy P, Nikitenko SI. Synthesis and multi-scale properties of PuO 2 nanoparticles: recent advances and open questions. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2022; 4:4938-4971. [PMID: 36504736 PMCID: PMC9680947 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00306f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Due to the increased attention given to actinide nanomaterials, the question of their structure-property relationship is on the spotlight of recent publications. Plutonium oxide (PuO2) particularly plays a central role in nuclear energetics and a comprehensive knowledge about its properties when nanosizing is of paramount interest to understand its behaviour in environmental migration schemes but also for the development of advanced nuclear energy systems underway. The element plutonium further stimulates the curiosity of scientists due to the unique physical and chemical properties it exhibits around the periodic table. PuO2 crystallizes in the fluorite structure of the face-centered cubic system for which the properties can be significantly affected when shrinking. Identifying the formation mechanism of PuO2 nanoparticles, their related atomic, electronic and crystalline structures, and their reactivity in addition to their nanoscale properties, appears to be a fascinating and challenging ongoing topic, whose recent advances are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Virot
- ICSM, Univ Montpellier, CEA, CNRS, ENSCM Marcoule France
| | - Thomas Dumas
- CEA, DEN, DMRC, Univ Montpellier Marcoule France
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Leinders G, Baldinozzi G, Ritter C, Saniz R, Arts I, Lamoen D, Verwerft M. Charge Localization and Magnetic Correlations in the Refined Structure of U 3O 7. Inorg Chem 2021; 60:10550-10564. [PMID: 34184880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Atomic arrangements in the mixed-valence oxide U3O7 are refined from high-resolution neutron scattering data. The crystallographic model describes a long-range structural order in a U60O140 primitive cell (space group P42/n) containing distorted cuboctahedral oxygen clusters. By combining experimental data and electronic structure calculations accounting for spin-orbit interactions, we provide robust evidence of an interplay between charge localization and the magnetic moments carried by the uranium atoms. The calculations predict U3O7 to be a semiconducting solid with a band gap of close to 0.32 eV, and a more pronounced charge-transfer insulator behavior as compared to the well-known Mott insulator UO2. Most uranium ions (56 out of 60) occur in 9-fold and 10-fold coordinated environments, surrounding the oxygen clusters, and have a tetravalent (24 out of 60) or pentavalent (32 out of 60) state. The remaining uranium ions (4 out of 60) are not contiguous to the oxygen cuboctahedra and have a very compact, 8-fold coordinated environment with two short (2 × 1.93(3) Å) "oxo-type" bonds. The higher Hirshfeld charge and the diamagnetic character point to a hexavalent state for these four uranium ions. Hence, the valence state distribution corresponds to 24/60 × U(IV) + 32/60 U(V) + 4/60 U(VI). The tetravalent and pentavalent uranium ions are predicted to carry noncollinear magnetic moments (with amplitudes of 1.6 and 0.8 μB, respectively), resulting in canted ferromagnetic order in characteristic layers within the overall fluorite-related structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Leinders
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Institute for Nuclear Materials Science, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Gianguido Baldinozzi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, CNRS, SPMS, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Clemens Ritter
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Rolando Saniz
- CMT & NanoLab Center of Excellence, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Ine Arts
- EMAT & NanoLab Center of Excellence, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Dirk Lamoen
- EMAT & NanoLab Center of Excellence, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Marc Verwerft
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Institute for Nuclear Materials Science, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
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