Gd2ZnMnO6/ZnO nanocomposites: Green sol-gel auto-combustion synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic degradation of different dye pollutants in water

For a first time, Gd2ZnMnO6/ZnO nanocomposites (GZMO/ZnO NCs) are prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion procedure based on a reaction between Gd, Zn and Mn nitrates and grape syrup or coffee as green fuel. The structure, morphology and phase purity of GZMO NCs can be organized by kind and amount of fuel, reaction time and temperature. The samples are studied by different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The magnetic, optical and photocatalytic behaviors of the nanocomposites are investigated. NCs show antiferromagnetic behavior. The band gap energy of the samples is estimated about 3.27 eV. The photocatalytic behavior of NCs is studied by degradation of different pollutants such as methyl violet, erythrosine, eriochrome black T and methylene blue were investigated. Also effects of the fuel, reaction temperature and time on photocatalytic behavior of NCs were evaluated. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.