A Flower-like In₂O₃ Catalyst Derived via Metal-Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Applications.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient, low-cost, and environmentally benign catalysts is crucial for environmental remediation.
• Photocatalysis offers a promising approach for degrading pollutants.
• Indium oxide (In2O3) is a semiconductor material with potential photocatalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel flower-like indium oxide (In2O3-MF) catalyst.
• To evaluate the photocatalytic activity of In2O3-MF for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methylene blue (MB).
• To compare the performance of In2O3-MF with other indium oxide structures (In2O3-MR and In2O3-MD).

Main Methods:

• A MOF-based solvothermal self-assembly technique was employed for catalyst synthesis.
• Morphology and structural analyses were conducted to characterize the In2O3-MF catalyst.
• Photocatalytic degradation experiments were performed using 4-NP and MB under visible light with NaBH4 as a reducing agent.

Main Results:

• The In2O3-MF catalyst exhibited a unique flower-like structure with a large surface area (486.95 m2 g-1).
• In2O3-MF demonstrated significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity, achieving 99.32% reduction of 4-NP in 20 min and 99.2% degradation of MB in 3 min.
• The catalyst maintained high conversion rates (>95% for 4-NP, >96% for MB) after five cycles, indicating excellent stability and reusability.

Conclusions:

• The flower-like In2O3-MF catalyst, synthesized via a facile MOF-based method, shows superior photocatalytic performance for pollutant degradation.
• Its unique 3D structure, large surface area, and broad spectrum response contribute to its enhanced efficiency and stability.
• In2O3-MF presents a promising, reusable catalyst for environmental remediation applications.