Photocatalytic and Electrochemical Applications of <scp> Fe ₂ O ₃ ‐In ₂ O ₃ </scp> Based <scp>HMA</scp> Glue Stick Composites Prepared by Solution Casting Method

ABSTRACT The treatment of contaminated wastewater with organic dyes is an important issue to decrease environmental pollution. In this manner, hot melt Adhesives glue gun stick (HMA) and Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposite sheets were prepared via the solution casting technique and assessed for their ability to degrade the carcinogenic Eosin B dye under UV light irradiation. The HMA and Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposites were characterized by SEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD techniques. The photodegradation study showed that the HMA and its nanocomposites considerably degraded the Eosin B dye. The HMA degraded 70.6% of the dye while the 10 and 20 wt% Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposites degraded 75.8% and 80.4% within 5 h, respectively. The recovered HMA degraded 57.2% of the dye while the 10 wt% and 20 wt% Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposites degraded 63.95% and 69.55% of the dye within 5 h, respectively. The Hinshelwood formula studied the half‐life, and the results for the t 1/2 value were 2.73 min (HMA), 2.47 min (10 wt%) and 2.16 min (20 wt%) were obtained. The crystallite size of HMA, 10 and 20 wt% Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposites were 27.96, 17.53, and 24.28 nm (Scherrer formula), and 29.53, 18.34, and 25.22 nm (Williamson formula), respectively. Further, the cyclic voltammetry study presented that the Fe 2 O 3 ‐In 2 O 3 /HMA nanocomposites had enhanced conductance compared to HMA.