DEGRADATION OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS BY BaPbCeO NANO PHOTOCATALYST: BENIGN WATER TREATMENT

A novel BaPbCe₂O₇ nano-photocatalyst was synthesized through a controlled co-precipitation route followed by calcination, resulting in a product yield of 73% and was characterized using various analytical techniques. UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed an optical band gap of 2.32 eV. The resulting nanoparticles (NPs) were subsequently evaluated for their photocatalytic efficiency in degrading the dyes Azure A (AA), Toluidine blue (TB), and Erythrosine B (EB). A detailed kinetic study was performed to identify the optimal parameters for photocatalytic activity. The nano-photocatalyst exhibited remarkable performance, achieving degradation efficiencies of 87% for AA, 98% for TB and 79% for EB within just 40, 18 and 70 minutes of irradiation respectively. Radical scavenging experiments confirmed the participation of free radical reactive species in the degradation pathways. In addition, recyclability assessments demonstrated that the catalyst maintained nearly consistent activity over five successive cycles, indicating its stability and reusability. A plausible mechanism describing the photocatalytic degradation process has also been proposed.