Mn(VO₃)₂ Nanorods: Its Green Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties with the Aid of Polysorbate as the Polymeric Capping Agent

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2019 Aug 1;19(8):5142-5149. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2019.16815.

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to develop a simple and convenient co-precipitation method to synthesize Mn(VO₃)₂ nanorods with the aid of polysorbate as the polymeric capping agent in an aqueous environment. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and vibrating-sample magnetometer techniques were applied to characterize chemical structure, morphology, and optical properties of nanorods. According to the XRD and SEM results, various polysorbate has direct impact on the morphology and crystal size. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized Mn(VO₃)₂ nanorods was evaluated by monitoring the photodegradation of methylene blue under UV light irradiation. Moreover, the influences of various parameters, such as nanorods size, various dyes, and reaction pH on the photocatalytic stability were studied.