Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes and Organics with Nanosized GdCoO₃

GdCoO 3 nanoparticles with sizes of 3, 12, and 200 nm were prepared from single source mixed-metal organic framework (MOF) precursor, [Gd(H 2 O) 3 Co{C 5 N 1 H 3 (COO) 2 } 3 ]. The photocatalytic degradation studies, carried out for the first time in the presence of nanosized GdCoO 3 oxides, on dyes, phenols, and substituted phenols indicate favorable activity. The intermediates formed during the photocatalytic reactions were analyzed, and possible reaction mechanisms have been proposed. The results of the present study indicate that the degradation appear to be faster in the presence of 3 nm GdCoO 3 compared to P-25 Degussa TiO 2 catalyst. The reduced formation of unwanted intermediates in the presence of GdCoO 3 indicates that this material would prove to be a good photocatalyst in environmental photocatalysis.