NaNbO3/Eumelanin composite: A new photocatalyst under visible light
Abstract: Sodium niobate (NaNbO3) is a semiconductor with many potential technological applications and, among them, it is considered a promising photocatalyst. However, it only absorbs ultraviolet light, limiting its use in light-dependent processes. Therefore, in this work we synthesized NaNbO3 nanoparticles quickly and used them to prepare a NaNbO3/Eumelanin composite with photocatalytic activity under visible light. Eumelanin was extracted from human hair and is a pigment responsible for the brown-black coloration, abundant in fauna and flora. The results showed that the composite successfully degraded the Rhodamine B dye. Therefore, this study presents a photocatalyst solution with better use of light and serves as inspiration for the development of new photocatalysts.
Author(s): Fernandes, D.; Raubach, C. W.; Ferrer, M. M.; Jardim, P. L. G.; Graeff, C. F. d. O.; Moreira, M. L.; Moreira, E. C.; Mastelaro, V. R.; Cava, S. d. S.
Ceramics International
Published: 15 February 2023, Volume 49, Issue 4, Pages 7099-7104
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.12.094
CDMF
The CDMF, hosted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), is one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDC) supported by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), and also receives investment from the National Council Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), from the National Institute of Science and Technology of Materials in Nanotechnology (INCTMN).