MnCo2O4@ZrO2 nanocomposites prepared via facile route toward photoreduction of Hg (II) ions

Mercury reduction via photocatalysis in visible light utilizing a novel form of heterogeneous photocatalyst is regarded as a notable important avenue for supportable, pure energy on a larger scale as well as in the laboratory. Using an easy wet chemical approach with varied MnCo2O4 concentrations, a novel nanocomposite MnCo2O4@ZrO2 comprising mesoporous ZrO2 and MnCo2O4 was created. Both X-ray diffraction in addition to XPS patterns efficiently validated the crystal structure as well as the different compositions of MnCo2O4@ZrO2 and illustrated the integration of MnCo2O4 dopant inside the ZrO2 structure. Furthermore, the BET surface area founded to be 241, 190, 188, 184, and 183 m2/g for ZrO2, and (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt %) MnCo2O4@ZrO2 samples, respectively. The fabricated nanocomposites materials were inspected as an operative photocatalyst toward removal of Hg2+ ions from the wastewater through applying a visible light source. The photocatalytic action connected to the Hg reduction process was corroborated by the MnCo2O4 content. The highest values of Hg reduction were accredited to the 1.5 wt% MnCo2O4@ZrO2, demonstrating a substantial enhancement in photoactivity with that quantity of doped nanocomposite. The obtained results exhibited remarkable improvement in performance via utilizing the prepared nanocomposites, even after five cycles of use. The addition of MnCo2O4 to ZrO2 nanoparticles significantly improved photocatalytic performance by lowering the band gap energy and lessening the recombination effect between the carriers. Consequently, a green photocatalyst for crucial transformation processes might be made from the newly generated MnCo2O4@ZrO2 nanocomposite.