LaMnO3 (LMO) nanopowder was synthesized by the microwave combustion method using glycine and nitrate salts of La and Mn as precursors. The as-prepared LMO powder was pressed at high pressure and annealed at 1000°C for 8 hours to make a target for thin film deposition. The structural and elemental analysis was obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Thin films of LMO were fabricated using pulsed electron deposition (PED) at room temperature. The effects of discharge voltage and oxygen/argon flux ratio on the produced thin films were studied. The study shows that stoichiometry and structure of the target was preserved well in the thin films prepared with a discharge voltage from 14 to 15 kV, while the oxygen/nitrogen flux ratio did not show a clear effect on the quality of thin films.
A series of x%Ag/ZnO (x: 0; 1; 2; 5; 10) nanostructures were successfully synthesized through the facile method. The material's structures were confirmed through X‐ray diffraction, while their morphology, elemental distribution, and components were analyzed using cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The optical properties of Ag/ZnO revealed a decrease in band gap from 3.2 eV to 2.83 eV and a significant reduction in photoluminescence intensity with increasing Ag nanoparticle loading on the surface of ZnO. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized Ag/ZnO flower‐like nanostructure was evaluated in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV‐Vis irradiation. The photocatalytic results indicated that decorating Ag nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO improved the photodegradation of MB. Interestingly, the 5%Ag/ZnO showed the highest effectiveness, achieving a 99% removal efficiency of MB for 60 minutes under UV‐Vis irradiation. Notably, the ultra performance liquid chromatography‐ tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC‐MS/MS) confirmed the structure of intermediates, while total organic carbon (TOC) removal was 47%. Moreover, the proposed mechanism for the charge transfer process was based on the results of radical scavenging experiments, which showed that superoxide was the dominant reactive species. Finally, the 5%Ag/ZnO was stable and reused at least five times.
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