GO and CQDs supported La Co Ni trimetallic nano scale systems for catalytic applications

Abstract

ix newlineAbstract newlineCurrent enthusiasm in the field of the nanotechnology leads to the development of nanocomposites as one of the rapidly evolving areas of composites research. Nanocomposites are multiphase materials, where one of the phases has nanoscale dimensions. The objective to fabricate such nanocomposite materials is to obtain distinct properties evolved from the synergistic effects of the component materials. This may include improved catalytic activities, better physical or chemical properties, enhanced environmental stabilities that may be explored for various applications such as military equipment, safety, protective garments, automotive, aerospace, electronics and optical devices. In present work, we have synthesized trimetallic nanoparticles and their novel nanocomposites which are used for different applications such as water purification, catalytic activities and antibacterial agents. newlineIn the presence study, the La/Co/Ni TNPs, La/Co/Ni atGO and La/Co/Ni atCQDs TNCs were synthesised by using micro-wave method and used as a photocatalysts for the remediation of the organic pollutants. The prepared La/Co/Ni TNPs and their nanocomposites, were characterized by using X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The potential applications of the TNPs and TNCs were explored for photodegradation of fast green dye and 2-chlorophenol in the presence of sunlight. The photocatalytic studies were executed under two sets of conditions: (i) equilibrium adsorption in dark followed by photocatalysis and (ii) combined adsorption/photocatalysis directly in sunlight. In case of fast green dye, it was observed that 75% reduction was achieved under sunlight in the presence of La/Co/Ni atCQDs which higher as compared to La/Co/Ni TNPs (70%) and La/Co/Ni atGO TNCs (68%). While in case of the remediation of 2-chlorophenol, La/Co/Ni atGO is more effective in combined adsorption photocatalytic conditions with a newlinex newline71% degradation in 5 hours. The optical band gap of La/Co/Ni TNPs, La/Co/Ni atGO and La/Co/Ni atCQDs TNCs was found to be 2.55 eV, 2.42 eV, and 2.15 eV which lies in semiconductor region. newlineThe catalytic nature of synthesized TNPs and TNCs were explored for oxidation and esterification reactions. It was observed that in the presence of acetonitrile with ratio 2:1 (BA:H2O2) and Temperature (80°C) La/Co/Ni TNPs give maximum yield 91.7%. The synthesized TNPs and TNCs showed the promising antimicrobial activity against E. coli and pseudomonas. La/Co/NiatCQDs TNCs exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against both the bacterial strains. The present study revealed that the synthesized TNPs and TNCs is a new class of advanced multifunctional material which can be employed effectively for environmental remediation, in catalytic activities and antimicrobial studies. newlineKey words:- Graphene Oxide (GO), Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs), UV-Vis, Photocatalyst, Trimetallic nanoparticals newline