Catalytic performance of bimetallic Ni/Pd nanoparticles for photodegradation of congo red in water

Abstract

Bimetallic Ni/Pd nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple chemical method (co-reduction) and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller/Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BET/BJH) methods and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles was investigated using congo red as a model azo dye under a UV-A lamp, and the degradation efficiency was studied under different conditions, such as pH, catalyst load, irradiation time and initial concentration. The degradation process followed pseudo-first-order rate kinetics, and the results gave an excellent photocatalytic performance of 99% towards congo red degradation under UV-A light. According to the XRD, the average crystallite size of Ni/Pd was found to be 64.6 nm, the band gap energy was 3.02 eV, and the surface area was 13.401 m²/g. These findings demonstrate the potential of Ni/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles as highly efficient photocatalysts for wastewater treatment applications, offering a promising route for the removal of hazardous azo dyes under UV irradiation