LaxNiy Mn2-(x+y)O3/g-C3N4 composite: A multifunctional material for photocatalytic and adsorptive removal of pollutants with statistical evaluation

• Published in: Desalination and water treatment 2024-10, Vol.320, p.100725, Article 100725
• Main Authors: Arif, Muhammad Usama, Baig, Mirza Mahmood, Touqeer, Muhammad, Saboor, Abdul, Hassan, Mehboob, Shakir, Imran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 4-nitrophenol; Co-doping; Composite; G-C3N4; Photocatalysis; XRD
• ISSN: 1944-3986
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dwt.2024.100725

The disposal of tons of organic chemicals annually in water resources is an alarming threat to the environment. Among the various remediation techniques, the combination of adsorption and degradation is a highly effective and economical strategy for eliminating these contaminants. In this study, a novel LaxNiyMn2-(x+y)O3/g-C3N4 composite [x,y = (0.00,0.00), (0.03,0.06), (0.06,0.03), (0.045,0.045)] is synthesized by a low-temperature and cost-efficient sol-gel auto-combustion method to address this issue. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the morphology and crystal structure of the composite, respectively. The optical properties of the composite were investigated by a UV–visible spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared samples was evaluated against crystal violet and 4-nitrophenol under solar irradiation. The doped composite La0.06Ni0.03Mn1.91O3/g-C3N4 exhibited superior degradation efficiency of 87.54 % for crystal violet in 60 min, compared to 56.2 % for the undoped composite. The same composite also achieved 78 % reduction of 4-nitrophenol without any external reducing agent. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms models and statistical analysis were applied to the composite to elucidate the adsorption mechanism and the optimal conditions. The results demonstrated that the composite is an excellent candidate for environmental remediation due to its remarkable degradation and adsorption capabilities against organic pollutants. [Display omitted] •LaxNiyMn2-(x+y)O3/g-C3N4 composite was synthesized sol-gel method.•Excellent photocatalytic degradation (87.54 %) and efficient reduction 78.12 %).•Freundlich isotherm was best fit for LaxNiyMn2-(x+y)O3/g-C3N4.•The factors (pH and shaking time) affecting adsorption response were optimized using.