Thermal kinetics and photodegradation performance towards methylene blue of melt-quenched Se₇₀Te₃₀ glass

Abstract This paper reports the structure, basic characteristics, photocatalytic performance, and crystallization kinetics of the Se 70 Te 30 glass. The Se 70 Te 30 glass was synthesized using the melt-quenching method. The crystallization kinetics were investigated under non-isothermal condition via the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. For example, the glass transition activation energy, the thermal stability, and the Avrami index have been determined and discussed. It was found that thermal stability and glass-forming ability influence the crystallization rate. Furthermore, the activation energy needed for the amorphous-crystalline transition of the Se 70 Te 30 glass was obtained using conventional methods. The thermal kinetic parameters were analyzed using various conventional approaches and were revealed to be influenced by the heating rate ( β ). The photocatalytic activity of the Se 70 Te 30 glass towards methylene blue (MB) was examined and compared to the literature. The UV-visible irradiation time affects the photodegradation of MB and reaches 72.13% under the UV-visible irradiation for 70 min. A hypothesized mechanism for the degradation of the MB dye by Se 70 Te 30 catalysts is described. The study employed Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics to ascertain the rate constant of 2.1 × 10 –2 min –1 towards MB dye degradation and to assess the photo-reactivity of the Se 70 Te 30 glass under investigation using quantitative analysis. The synthesized Se 70 Te 30 glass could be helpful for purifying wastewater and degrading other organic dyes, in addition to its benefits for phase change memory applications.