Hydrogen Production and Photocatalytic Decomposition Effect for Sustainable Energy Using Engineered Nanocatalysts

Developments in the field of nanotechnology enable the use of catalysts in different fields. In this context, in this study, Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs were obtained using the chemical reduction method. The obtained nanostructure was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Each analysis showed that Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs were synthesized in a targeted manner suitable for different purposes. The obtained Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs were used for methylene blue (MB) removal from the aqueous solution. The results showed that the adsorption of MB by Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs was significantly light-dependent. After 50 min of exposure to simulated sunlight, it is showed high photocatalytic activity with a removal efficiency of 80.5%. Furthermore, Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs were used as catalysts for electrolysis, and successful results were obtained. The catalyst activity of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs was found to be depending upon different potentials (V). Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs produced 2255.4 mL of H 2 in only 30 min. All these results indicate that Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs are suitable for use as catalysts and Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 NPs can easily separate organic pollutants from aqueous solutions in real applications. The synthesized nanostructure is found to successfully fulfill different purposes and is suitable for innovative modeling.