Efficient Photocatalytic Decomposition of Acid Blue 25 Dye using Facilely Synthesized Magnesium Aluminate Nanoparticles

The release of acid blue 25 dye from factories into water sources has been linked to various health issues, including cancer, skin irritation, redness, and allergic reactions. Also, the photocatalytic degradation process plays a vital role in addressing the global challenge of pollution by offering an environmentally friendly, versatile, and efficient method for removing contaminants from water. Therefore, this study focused on the low-cost and facile fabrication of MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles by the Pechini sol–gel procedure. Subsequently, these nanoparticles were utilized for effective photocatalytic breakdown of acid blue 25 dye. Using tartaric acid in the Pechini sol–gel synthesis of MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles introduces novel and significant aspects. Tartaric acid chelates with metal ions like magnesium and aluminum, ensuring a homogeneous ion distribution, enhanced precursor stability, reduced particle aggregation, and smaller crystal size in the final product. In addition, the fabricated MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized using different techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). In addition, the XRD revealed that the mean crystal size of the fabricated MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles was 14.25 nm, while their optical energy gap was 3.76 eV. FE-SEM analysis revealed a mixture of spherical and irregular forms with an average grain size of 0.34 µm. HR-TEM analysis revealed that the fabricated MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles consisted of tiny spherical particles with an average diameter of 12.78 nm. The maximum photocatalytic breakdown of 50 mL of 100 mg/L acid blue 25 dye, reaching 99.86%, was achieved within 35 min at pH 3. Additionally, the results demonstrated consistent breakdown efficiency of the acid blue 25 dye even after four cycles, validating the efficacy and reusability of the developed MgAl₂O₄ nanoparticles.