TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposite: simple synthesis, characterization, and study of photocatalytic activity for removal of toxic dyes in wastewater

A new TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposite, which is investigated for its photocatalytic properties, has been synthesized using Schiff base; 4,4′-(((methylenebis(4,1-phenylene))bis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene)) diphenol (4,4′-MPAMD); as a new fuel at 900 °C, and studied. The effective parameter (different 4,4′-MPAMD concentration) on the synthesis process was examined. It was found that TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposite produced using molar ratio of 1:1 for 4,4′-MPAMD:terbium (Tb) has the potential to degrade organic dyes. The photocatalytic performance of TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposite was investigated on the degradation of two diverse pollutant models and relative acid black concentrations. The results showed that the use of 1:1 ratio (Tb: 4,4′-MPAMD) greatly improved the photocatalytic performance. In addition, 93.3% of acid black and 48.7% of methylene blue were destroyed using 30 mg TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposite as a nano-photocatalyst. The impact of different scavengers revealed that the ·O2‒ and ·OH performed the major role in acid black destruction. Besides, binary TbMnO3/TbMn2O5 nanocomposites showed an efficiency of 73.8% in eliminating acid black over five subsequent cycles, indicating their high stability.