Effect of synthesis method on the structural and optical properties of Ca2V2O7

• Published in: Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 985 - 994
• Main Authors: Silvano, Leticia Trezecik, Folgueras, Marilena Valadares, De Souza, Eder Carlos Ferreira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01-09-2023
• Subjects: Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Glass; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Natural Materials; Solid-state reaction; Pechini method; Photocatalyst; V; Ca; O
• ISSN: 2510-1560; 2510-1579
• DOI: 10.1007/s41779-023-00891-x

Vanadium oxides have been extensively studied once vanadium oxidation states provide unique characteristics, allowing applications in several areas, such as light-emitting devices and photocatalysts. The solid-state reaction is the oldest route for synthesizing ceramic compounds; however, it includes a lack of homogeneity and purity in the final material. In contrast, the Pechini method enables excellent particle size and morphology control, together with high-purity materials, at lower temperatures and reaction times. Although synthesis strongly influences the material’s applicability, few studies have compared these methods experimentally. The present work expects to contribute to understanding the differences between solid-state reaction and Pechini routes in the obtention of CaV
2
O
7
and how it impacts the final characteristics of the material. The synthesis was carried out using the solid-state method and modified Pechini in a temperature range of 650–850 °C. The powders possess a particle distribution as a function of temperature. The material shows an absorbing performance of about 500 nm, with a band gap of around 3 eV, slightly higher for the solid-state reaction route, as it is closely related to the size and purity of the particles. In summary, the results suggest that the solid-state reaction requires a higher temperature to obtain a higher purity material, while the Pechini method provides the same purity at all temperatures applied, together with a more homogeneous morphology, which shows to be a promising photocatalyst material capable of decolorizing 40% of a methylene blue solution in 120 min where it can play an important role for wastewater treatments.