Facile synthesis, characterization and BET study of neodymium-doped spinel Mn3O4 nanomaterial with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this study, bare Mn 3 O 4 and Neodymium (Nd)-doped Mn 3 O 4 were prepared via a facile hydrothermal strategy. These materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. XRD pattern displays that the particles were well crystallized and corresponds to a spinel structure of Mn 3 O 4 . The BET specific surface area and pore volume of mesoporous Mn 3 O 4 greatly exceeds that of Nd-doped Mn 3 O 4 samples. The sonophotocatalytic activity of Nd-doped Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles was evaluated by monitoring the decolorization of Reactive Red 43 in aqueous solution under sono-photocatalytic process. 4% Nd-doped Mn 3 O 4 nanoparticles showed the highest decolorization efficiency among the different amounts of dopant agent used. The Nd-doped Mn 3 O 4 could be a promising candidate material for high-capacity, low-cost, and environmentally friendly catalyst for wastewater remediation.