In2O3 nanocapsules for rapid photodegradation of crystal violet dye under sunlight.

We report, a shape controlled novel synthesis of Indium oxide (In2O3) nanocapsule using biogenic reflux method. The In2O3 samples were obtained through optimization of the concentration of sodium citrate, which played a significant role to tune the size of nanocapsules. All synthesized In2O3 samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The morphological study reflects the effect of sodium citrate on the size of nanocapsules and confirms the formation of nanocapsules in the range of 50 nm. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of In2O3 nanocapsules based photocatalyst was carried out for the degradation of Crystal Violet (CV) dye under natural sunlight illumination. The experiment revealed that the In2O3 nanocapsule efficiently degrades 90% of CV within 180 min. This effort recommends the synthesis of In2O3 nanocapsule based photocatalyst for rapid degradation of CV under natural sunlight illumination.

Ru-Loaded mesoporous WO3 microflowers for dual applications: enhanced H2S sensing and sunlight-driven photocatalysis.

We report a facile synthesis of Ru-loaded WO3 marigold structures through a hydrothermal route and their bidirectional applications as enhanced H2S gas sensors and efficient sunlight-driven photocatalysts. The developed hierarchical marigold structures provide effective gas diffusion channels via a well-aligned mesoporous framework, resulting in remarkable enhancement in the sensing response to H2S. The temperature and gas concentration dependence on the sensing properties reveals that Ru loading not only improves the sensing response, but also lowers the operating temperature of the sensor from 275 to 200 °C. The 0.5 wt% Ru-loaded WO3 shows selective response towards H2S, which is 45 times higher (142) than that of pristine WO3 (3.16) sensor, whereas the 0.25 wt% Ru-loaded WO3 exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, as shown by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under natural sunlight. The gas sensing and photocatalytic properties are explained through the role of Ru and the structural and morphological properties of the developed material.