Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of nano-sized iron oxides

Nano-sized iron oxide powder with average crystallite sizes 35, 100 and 150 nm was prepared by thermal evaporation and co-precipitation techniques. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis technique, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The prepared powders were tested as catalysts for the photo catalytic decomposition of Congo red dye. The effect of crystal size of iron oxides on the rate of decomposition of Congo red dye was investigated in visible light as well as in the absence of light. The experimental results show that both iron oxides with crystallite size 35 and 150 nm cause complete decomposition of Congo red dye while iron oxide particles with crystallite size 100 nm were unable to decompose the dye. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.