Sonocatalysis and Photocatalysis in Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ ceramics

Abstract

The photocatalytic, sonocatalytic, and sono‐photocatalytic performances of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ (BST) ceramic (synthesized through solid‐state reaction route) were investigated for the degradation of an organic dye named methylene blue (MB). The as‐prepared BST ceramic powder was characterized using a scanning electron microscope, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The optical energy band gap of BST ceramic was found to be ∼3.17 eV. BST has shown significant catalytic activity following sonocatalysis and photocatalysis processes, i.e, ∼48% and ∼65% in 3 h, respectively. The synergic effect of the sonocatalysis and photocatalysis processes had shown an excellent degradation of 81% in 3 h. To determine the reactive species responsible for the degradation of MB dye, a scavenger test was also performed using isopropyl alcohol (IPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and benzoquinone (BQ) scavengers. The degree of MB dye degradation was quantified by a phytotoxicity test on “Vigna radiata” seeds. Furthermore, the potentiality of BST ceramic was explored for water cleaning applications while irradiating it to solar radiation in real‐time conditions.