Sunlight-induced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants by biosynthesized hetrometallic oxides nanoparticles

Dyes and phenols are extensively used chemicals in petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, textile, and paints industries. Due to high persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, their removal from the environment is highly imperative by advanced techniques. Single metal oxide nanomaterials are generally associated with limitations of large bandgap (> 3eV) and charge recombination. Therefore, heterometallic oxides (HMOs) as CuFe₂O₄, CuMn₂O₄, and MnZn₂O₄ have been synthesized via green route by employing leaf extract of Azadirachta indica. XRD revealed the crystalline nature of HMOs nanospheres with particle size less than 100 nm. Subsequently, HMOs nanocatalysts were used as photocatalyst for removal of 3-amino phenols (3-AP) and eriochrome black T (EBT) from water under sunlight. Reaction parameters namely pollutant concentration (50–130 mgL⁻¹), catalyst dose (20–100 mg), and pH (3–11) were optimized in order to get best results. Substantial degradation (80–95%) of pollutants (50 mgL⁻¹) by HMOs (80 mg) was achieved at neutral pH under sunlight exposure. Highest removal by CuFe₂O₄ might be due to its high surface area (35.7 m²g⁻¹), low band gap (2.4 eV), larger particle stability (Zeta potential: -22.0 mV), and lower photoluminescence intensity. Sharp declines in curves were visually confirmed by color change and indicated for first-order kinetics of degradation with initial Langmuir adsorption. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that half-life (t₁/₂) of 3-AP (0.9-1.7 h) and EBT (0.6-0.8 h) were significantly reduced. Faster degradation of EBT than 3-AP was because of less electronegative N-atom at the diazo group. Scavenger analysis indicated the presence of active radicals in photo-catalytic degradation of 3-AP and EBT. All HMOs have shown high reusability (n=8) which ensures their stability, sustainability, and efficiency. Overall, green synthesized HMOs nanoparticles with prominent surface characteristics offer a viable alternative photocatalyst for industrial applications.