Simultaneous formation of platinum-based nanocatalysts and degradation of dyes at oil/water interface: Comparative morphological and kinetic studies

To decrease the water pollution of textile industries with a large amount of toxic and non-biodegradable colored dye effluents, an efficient technique is required to safely remove harmful pollutants. In this paper, the reaction between azo dyes and NaBH4 catalyzed by nanoparticles (NPs) thin films has been studied. We report insitu degradation of methyl orange (MO) and methyl red (MR) by using Pt-based thin films monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. We have synthesized different thin films such as Pt, PtPd, PtFeFe2O3, PtNi and PtAu films from Pt organometallic precursor in the MO and MR medium (dye degradation and NPs formation is happened simultaneously) and activity of these films were compared in the complete degradation of MO and MR dyes. Rate constants for the catalyzed reactions have been determined. PtPd NPs thin film has shown the highest rate constant for the degradation of MO and MR within only a few seconds due to its well-ordered structure. Furthermore, the effect of presence of MO on the morphology of NPs was investigated.