La2MnTiO6 double perovskite nanostructures as highly efficient visible light photocatalysts

Abstract

In this paper, we reported, for the first time, the preparation of La₂MnTiO₆ double perovskite nanostructures using a simple sol–gel method in the presence of citric acid as the size controlling agent. The crystalline structure, morphology, and elemental composition of the prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, and EDX mapping analysis. Owing to superior electronic properties of the double perovskite, we used the prepared samples in the photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 113 (AB 113) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of AB 113 was nearly 72% after 120 min irradiation. Also, the effects of the photocatalyst amount and pH value of the dye solution were studied. Investigation on the photocatalytic degradation mechanism using various radical scavenging agents revealed that the photo-generated holes are the dominant oxidants for the degradation of AB 113. The reusability experiment showed that the prepared sample has good recyclability even for 6 reaction cycles.