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In this work fullerene (C60) was noncovalently doped to zinc–aluminum layered double hydroxide/polyvinyl alcohol (ZnAl–LDH/PVA) nanocomposites and the obtained samples were used for the photodegradation of methylene blue and congo red dyes from water solution. The structural, optical properties, surface morphology, specific surface area and chemical composition of C60 doped LDH were characterized by XRD, UV–Vis, PL, SEM, TEM and BET technique. The average crystallite size is increased from 8 to ~ 20 nm, and the dislocation density (δ) decreased from 0.0127 to ~ 0.003 nm2 by the increasing the amount of C60 doping 1% to 10%, 20% and 60%. Fullerene was used as a dopant and support material to improve the photocatalytic activity of LDH. The photodegradation parameters were determined with 1%, 10%, 20% and 60%wt of C60 doped LDH under visible-light. A complete photodegradation of MB (PD% = ~ 99%) on the nanocomposites occurred during 10 h irradiation The photodegradation rate constant (kapp) is 0.024 min−1 for CR onto 1% C60 doped ZnAl–LDH/PVA. The results show that noncovalent doped C60 into ZnAl–LDH/PVA matrix reduces the recombination of electron–hole pairs and increases the efficiency of the photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, pure and different concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, 10%) of Ag-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles have been synthesized by the sonochemical method and subsequent calcination at different high temperatures. Structural, optical, morphological properties and elemental composition of synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. According to X-ray diffraction results, no peaks related to silver or silver oxide were observed in the diffractograms of doped samples. Blue shift was observed in the absorption curve of Ag-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles compared to undoped Co3O4 nanoparticles. From transmission electron microscopy measurements, 2%, 4% and 6% Ag-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles thermal annealed at 500 °C exhibit sphere-like and irregularly structured morphology, while 10% Ag-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles have a rhombohedral-like, hexagonal and spherical morphology. The dielectric constant value (ɛʹ) was found to decrease with increasing frequency and it can be explained by Maxwell–Wagner model. The value of the dielectric constant increased with increasing of temperature from 25 to 100 °C and the highest value was observed for Ag0.1Co2.9O4/PVA sample at 100 °C temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, Cu x Co 3- x O 4 ( x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.1) nanoparticles have been synthesized by the sonochemical method and subsequent calcination at high temperature. The synthesized nanoparticles were further characterized using X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The analysis results showed that nanoparticle size, band gap and photocatalytic activity of Cu x Co 3- x O 4 compounds change by altering the Cu doping content. According to the XRD study, no impurity peaks associated with copper or copper oxide phases were observed in the diffractograms of doped samples. The highest degradation of methylene blue dye under visible light was observed in the presence of Cu 0.02 Co 2.98 O 4 nanoparticles and found to be 87.51% after 330 minutes. This value increased with increasing the amount of photocatalyst and with decreasing dye concentration., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)