Fe-Doped Nano-Cobalt Oxide Green Catalysts for Sulfoxidation and Photo Degradation

Abstract

Abstract Nanoparticles (NPs) of cobalt oxide and Fe/Ni-doped cobalt oxide has been prepared by the co-precipitation method. XPS analysis established the chemical nature of these NPs in terms of atomic as well as molecular formulations and EDAX analysis complemented the XPS results displaying the presence of Fe and Ni atoms in the cobalt oxide NPs revealing successful doping of Fe and Ni in cobalt oxide NPs. The impact of Fe and Ni-doping on the structure and physico-chemical properties of cobalt oxide NPs was also established by XPS analysis. The presence of metal-oxide bonds was further established by FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and HRTEM (High resolution transmission electron microscopy) analysis confirmed the formation of NPs. Among bare and Fe/Ni-doped cobalt oxide NPs, Fe-doped cobalt oxide NPs showed maximum photocatalytic activity against methylene blue as well as Fe-doped cobalt oxide NPs also acted as an excellent catalyst for the sulfoxidation of sulphides with 99 % conversion, and 95 % selectivity under green reaction conditions utilising water as a solvent.