Feasibility study of rapid synthesis of magnesium oxide nanorods by direct heating method

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and characterize magnesium oxide (MgO) nanomaterials by direct heating method and to investigate the photocatalytic performance of MgO in degradation of methylene blue dye (MB). Design/methodology/approach The synthesis of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanomaterials using conventional methods, such as chemical vapor deposition and hydrothermal techniques, usually requires a long duration (in hours), incurs expensive equipment or consumes a large amount of electrical energy. Improving the conventional methods for synthesis of metal oxide nanomaterials, a direct heating technique can be a simpler alternative. Findings Owing to the direct heating of the precursor solution and minimal heat loss to the environment, rapid synthesis (<1 h) and low power consumption (<100 Wh) can be achieved with the DH technique. In this study, MgO nanomaterials were successfully grown on Kanthal wires using the DH technique. The optimized synthesis conditions for producing the MgO nanomaterials were 50 W for 45 min. MgO possesses a length of 67.10 ± 15.36 nm, and diameter of 8.98 ± 3.22 nm with a good surface coverage of 92.05%. The MgO nanomaterials grown on the Kanthal wires achieved removal efficiency of 34.53% in removing methylene blue (MB) dye under UV light. The scavenger test suggested that the main reactive species involved in the degradation of MB dye were h + and •OH. Originality/value This paper provides brief information about the new direct heating method which low cost and rapid synthesis in preparation for MgO nanomaterials with the aim that MgO is capable to function as photocatalyst in degradation of MB dye.