Surfactant free synthesis and characterization of α-MoO3 nanoplates: A feasibility study to remove methylene blue from aqueous medium

Abstract

Abstract Orthorhombic a-MoO3 nanoplates have been synthesized by surfactant free chemical method. The prepared samples were analysed by various characterization techniques viz. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and Diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The XRD profile revealed the orthorhombic phase of the prepared material and obtained structural parameter confirms the formation of α-MoO3. EDAX depicts the prepared material’s compositional proportion and has no traces of the foreign elements as well. The topographic images of SEM indicate formation of nanoplate shaped MoO3 having a thickness in range of 200 to 300 nm. FTIR and Raman, on the basis of vibrational behaviour of chemical bonds present in the material, confirm the formation of orthorhombic MoO3. DRS study shows the band gap is about 2.95 eV. Further, the study of adsorption of methylene blue (MB) by synthesized MoO3 shows its potential application in the waste water treatment.