ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis of nanostructures of binary/ternary phase iron sulfide/selenide by hot injection route and their application as photocatalysts for degradation of red S3B dye

Rehana Akram, Javeed Akhtar, Humaira R. Khan, Masood Akhtar, Mohammad A. Malik, Neerish Revaprasdu, Yousef AlGhamdi, and Moazzam H. Bhatti

Department of Chemistry, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan

E-mail: javeedkt@gmail.com

Received: 26 March 2022  Accepted: 11 May 2022

Abstract:

Iron based nanostructures of iron sulfide (FeS₂), iron selenide (FeSe₂) and iron sulfo selenide (FeS_xSe_1-x) have been synthesised by one pot approach, using Fe(III) or Fe(II) chloride as iron source and sulfur or selenium powder as S and Se source in oleylamine. These as-synthesised nanostructures were characterized by X-rays diffraction (XRD), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and energy dispersion X-rays (EDX) spectroscopy. The as-prepared nanostructures were also investigated for their performance as photocatalysts for the degradation of a carcinogenic industrial dye RS3B directly under solar light. The detailed HR-TEM investigations show that kinetic factor (reaction time) plays a crucial role in synthesis of nanostructures and with 30 min, much better quality of nanostructures with improved crystallinity, dimensions, yields and electronic properties were obtained as-compered to those synthesized with one hour reaction time. This observation was true for all three materials (FeS₂, FeSe₂ and FeSSe).

Keywords: FeS; FeSe nanoparticles; Solar cell; Colloidal synthesis; Single source precursors; Hot injection

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02280-3

Chemical Papers 76 (10) 6371–6383 (2022)