Template/surfactant free and UV light irradiation assisted fabrication of Mn-Co oxides composite nanorings: Structure and synthesis mechanism

Publication date: Available online 24 April 2019Source: Progress in Natural Science: Materials InternationalAuthor(s): Wentao Jiang, Xiaonan Hu, Muhammad Yaseen, Liyi Shi, Dengsong Zhang, Jianping Zhang, Lei HuangAbstractA facile, green, cost effective, and template or surfactant free strategy via a two-step route i.e. UV irradiation followed by dissolution-growth for the controlled synthesis of Mn-Co composite nanorings at room temperature was proposed. The nanorings structures and the process were systematically studied via TEM, HRTEM, EDX and XRD. Bir-MnO2 nanosheets first formed through the direct photolysis of KMnO4 under UV light irradiation. This was followed by a dissolution-growth process via the dissolution of Bir-MnO2 nanosheets by the generated H+ from the redox reaction between the added Co(NO3)2 and residual KMnO4, as well as the accompanied formation of CoOOH, and Mn-Co composite nanorings. It was found that a balance between the dissolution and growth rate was needed. Suitable pH, KMnO4 presence and the starting nanosheets like Bir-MnO2 were the key factors for the formation of nanorings. The obtained Mn-Co nanorings/TiO2 showed enhanced efficiency for the catalytic oxidation of HCHO. Based on the above understandings, it is believed that the developed dissolution-growth method can be adopted for the designing and preparation of other Mn-Co composite nanostructures which can be further applied for environmental pollution remediation.Graphical abstractA facile,...
Source: Progress in Natural Science: Materials International - Category: Materials Science Source Type: research