Biosynthesis And Characterization Of Co3o4 Nanoparticle For Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities

Abstract

With rising concerns about environmental pollution and the drawbacks of traditional chemical synthesis methods, the synthesis of environmentally friendly semiconductor nanomaterials has garnered significant interest. In the present study, the preparation of Cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanoparticles was carried out by using a biological (green) synthesis route using bacterial metabolites as reducing and stabilizing agents. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized in terms of their structural, morphological, elemental and optical properties by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The XRD results showed that large amounts of highly crystalline (cubic-phase) Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of ~19.29 nm were formed. The SEM micrographs showed mostly spherical shapes of nanoparticles with relatively uniform morphology and the EDX spectra demonstrated that the cobalt nanoparticles were free of elemental impurities and the oxygen was free of impurities except for carbon. FTIR analysis confirmed the characteristic bands of the vibrations related to the formation of cobalt oxide. The optical band gaps were found to be 1.75 eV and 2.46 eV by a UV–Visible spectroscopy technique, respectively for the NCAP and NCG, which showed that these materials are semiconductors and efficient absorbers of visible light. The biosynthesized nanoparticles showed a higher photocatalytic activity than the conventionally synthesized Co nanoparticles, thereby proving their potential for environmental remediation applications. The results showed that biological synthesis is a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable method to synthesize highly active CO₃O₄ nanoparticles that have potential applications in wastewater treatment, environmental purification, and photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants.