Abstract
Nd1-xSrxMnO3 nanocomposites perovskites were synthesized using sol gel method at different Sr content x= 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9. The photocatalytic performance of the Nd1-xSrxMnO3 nanocomposites for photodegradation of Acridine orange dye (AO) was evaluated over visible light illumination. The single phase of orthorhombic pbnm was formed for x = 0.3 and 0.5; however monoclinic and orthorhombic were observed at x= 0.7 and 0.9. The Energy gap of the Nd1-xSrxMnO3 nanocomposites were estimated for all concentrations to be in the range of 3 +/- 0.05 eV. The photocatalytic efficiency of Nd1-xSrxMnO3 nanocomposite was 95% of the initial AO dye concentration within 3 h illumination time. The linear increase of the photodegradation rate was found in our samples as a result of the increase of Sr contents from 0.3 to 0.7wt %. Interestingly, the Nd1-xSrxMnO3 content has the highest degradation rate of AO which is two times faster than undoped NdMnO3. This superior behavior in photocatalytic activity of Nd1-xSrxMnO3 nanocomposite emerges from large surface area, structural anisotropy, and small particle size. These findings shows convincingly that the Nd1-xSrxMnO3 photocatalysts possess great promise for visible light driven photodegradation of AO dye.