Facile Solvent-Less Preparation, Characterization and Investigation of Photocatalytic Properties of Pr6O11 Nanostructures

Abstract

Pr6O11 nanostructures were synthesized through a facile solvent-less method. Nanostructures were prepared by heat treatment in air, using [Pr L(NO3)2]NO3 (L  bis-(salicyladehyde)-1,4-butadiimine Schiff base ligand), as new precursor, which was obtained by a solvent-free solid–solid reaction from praseodymium nitrate and Schiff base ligand. The as-obtained nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis)spectroscopy. The obtained results demonstrated that utilizing of this precursor is suitable choice for preparation of Pr6O11 nanostructures with very uniform sphere-like morphology. The photocatalyst activity of as-obtained Pr6O11 was also examined by degradation of 2-naphthol as organic contaminant under ultraviolet light irradiation.