Synergistic role of indium doping and g-C3N4 reinforcement in boosting the visible light-triggered rhodamine B and diclofenac sodium salt degradation over rare earth molybdate

Moutaz Aldrdery, Muhammad Aadil, Syeda Rabia Ejaz, Awais Khalid, Faisal Alresheedi, Hanof Dawas Alkhaldi, Muhammad Imran Saleem, Atef El Jery, Mazen R. Alrahili

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Designing and fabricating cost-efficient and eco-friendly photocatalysts for removing organic pollutants from wastewater streams is a crucial research objective for effectively managing industrial effluents to tackle environmental sustainability issues. In this study, we prepared bare cerium molybdate (Ce2(MoO4)3, M1) and indium-doped cerium molybdate (In- Ce2(MoO4)3, M2) photocatalysts via a hydrothermal method. We then synthesized a nanocomposite of In- Ce2(MoO4)3 (M3) with the promising material graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) using an ultrasonication approach. The synthesized photocatalysts were effectively applied to degrade the Rhodamine B dye and diclofenac sodium salt (a drug) from synthetic industrial wastewater through a photocatalysis approach. The impact of indium (In3+) doping on the bare (Ce2(MoO4)3 and the strong interaction between the (In-Ce2(MoO4)3 and g-C3N4 nanosheets were analyzed through physical and electrochemical techniques, including SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and EIS analysis. The comprehensive photocatalytic degradation of dye and the drug via first-order kinetic parameters under visible light irradiation for all the prepared catalyst samples was evaluated. The nanocomposite In-Ce2(MoO4)3/g-C3N4 exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity, degrading the maximum amount of RhB dye and drug (RhB:96 %, drug:87 %) in 90 min with a higher rate constant (k) compared to In-Ce2(MoO4)3 (RhB:69 %, drug:56 %) and Ce2(MoO4)3 (RhB:56 %, drug:38 %). Furthermore, the In-Ce2(MoO4)3/g-C3N4 samples produced a 7-fold and 3-fold increase in transient photogenerated current response compared to pristine Ce2(MoO4)3 and In-Ce2(MoO4)3 samples, respectively. These findings pave the way for synthesizing an economical, versatile, and efficient In-Ce2(MoO4)3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst to eliminate pollutants from industrial wastewater streams and boost environmental sustainability.

Original languageEnglish
Article number105232
JournalSurfaces and Interfaces
Volume54
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2024

Keywords

  • Doping
  • Nanocomposites
  • Photodegradation
  • Rhodamine B
  • g-CN

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