Dr. Valdés-Morales, Héctor

This study reports the synthesis of erbium (Er)-doped bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3/BFO) nanoparticles at varying molar concentrations (5, 10, and 15 %) using a sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals a structural transformation from rhombohedral to orthorhombic upon Er3+ doping, confirming the successful incorporation of Er3+ ions into the BFO lattice. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images show that Er-doping leads to a reduction in particle size and a modification of the surface morphology. The bandgap of the Er-doped BFO samples decreases from 2.34 to 2.15 eV with increasing Er content, attributed to the formation of new Er 4f energy levels within the band structure. The magnetic properties of the samples also improve with increasing Er concentration. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show reduced PL intensity for the 10 % Er-doped BFO sample, indicating a decrease in recombination rates, while electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveals a reduction in charge transfer resistance. Among the samples, the 10 % Er-doped BFO photocatalyst exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency. This enhanced activity is attributed to two key factors: efficient separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers, and a reduced recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, both driven by the rare-earth doping in BFO. Radical trapping experiments further identify hydroxyl (OH•) radicals as the primary species responsible for photocatalytic degradation. This study provides valuable insights into the tunability of BFO's bandgap energy and photocatalytic properties through Er doping.

A nanocomposite composed of α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 is synthesized using a modified ultrasonication approach, which engineered a robust interfacial contact in the system. Phase formation and morphological features are confirmed via XRD and electron-microscopy techniques. XPS revealed the native oxidation states of the elements and chemisorption-mediated interactions in the system. This developed composite produced hydrogen at a rate of 1494 μmolg− 1 h− 1, which is around 6.6 times higher than the g-C3N4 system. The observed enhancement is attributed to the Z-scheme configuration, leading to the suitable band edge alignments, charge separation and extended lifetime of the carriers in the composite.

This study sheds light on how the properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are influenced when it is modified with iron (Fe), leading to the formation of Fe-doped-TiO2, Fe2O3-TiO2 composite, and single-phase FeTiO3 systems. The structural formation of the materials, oxidation state, and chemical environments of the elements are analyzed using XRD and XPS techniques. Band structures with UV–visible light driven properties and suitable redox potentials with improved recombination resistance along with an active inter- and intra-charge transfers were observed for Fe2O3-TiO2 and FeTiO3 systems. The photocatalytic efficiency was found to be superior for FeTiO3 system, degrading ~97 and 100 % of phenol, malachite green and rhodamine B dyes in 150 min, respectively along with enhanced recyclability. Interestingly, a competitive S- and Z-scheme was predicted for Fe2O3-TiO2 composite, explaining its photocatalytic mechanism. The scavenger and total organic carbon analyses revealed the radicals driving the photocatalytic reactions and the nature of degradation products, respectively.

In this study, perovskite-structured lanthanum cobalt oxide(LaCoO3/LCO) systems with particle and flake morphologies were developed using sol−gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively, in order to investigate their morphological structure-dependent properties for potential supercapacitor applications. The structural analysis confirms that both methods yield LaCoO3with improved crystalline properties. The energy storage performance of the developed materials is studied in a three-electrode configuration using a 1 MKOH electrolyte. The results indicated superior electrochemical performance for the LCO nanoflakes, exhibiting specific capacitances of ∼215 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and ∼136 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. In comparison, the LCO nanoparticles showed ∼119 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and ∼99F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. This difference can be largely attributed to their respective morphologies, porous structures, and surface defects. Further, the nanoflakes demonstrated an exceptional capacitance retention of ∼97% even after 5000 charge−discharge cycles. The findings of this study suggest that the properties of perovskite LaCoO3 can be tuned by adjusting its morphology through various synthesis methods, making LaCoO3 a viable and robust system for energy storage applications.

In this study, we demonstrated the design and fabrication of iron oxide-embedded protonated graphitic carbon nitride (α-Fe2O3/p-g-C3N4) nanocomposites for photocatalytic dye degradation and heavy metal reduction applications under sunlight irradiation. The developed nanocomposites, with varying weight percentages of α-Fe2O3, were characterized for their structural (XRD, FTIR, XPS), optical (absorption and photoluminescence), morphological (FE-SEM, TEM), and electrochemical (EIS) properties to elucidate their structure-property relationships. The synthesis method ensures the uniform dispersion of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, with a particle size range of 50–60 nm, onto p-g-C3N4. XPS analysis suggests the formation of an electrical layer at the interface of α-Fe2O3/p-g-C3N4, facilitating the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction. The photoluminescence and EIS spectra of the nanocomposite indicated effective separation and transfer of photo-induced charge carriers, aided by a reduced bandgap energy of ∼2.63 eV. Notably, the optimized 10 wt% α-Fe2O3/p-g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic activity, degrading nearly 100 % of crystal violate dye and reducing 98 % of Cr(VI) ions, compared to bare p-g-C3N4, which degraded around 43 % of the dye and reduced 39 % of Cr(VI) ions under sunlight irradiation. Scavenger studies indicated that α-Fe2O3/p-g-C3N4 nanocomposites produce adequate superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals for dye degradation and heavy metal ion reduction. The composite also demonstrated consistent recyclability up to 5 cycles with around 100 % cyclical efficiency. The pH-dependent photoreduction and cyclic dye degradation by the 10 wt% α-Fe2O3/p-g-C3N4 photocatalyst indicated excellent stability, making it suitable for the treatment of multi-pollutant wastewater.