Decolorization of RB-5 azo dye with La_0.8Sr_0.2Fe_1-yCo_yO_3±δ(LSFC) perovskite

In the present study, the sonochemical synthesis of a La0.8Sr0.2Fe1-yCoyO3 ± δ type perovskite (LSFC) was carried out, varying the Cobalt content. The synthesized samples were characterized for their thermal (ATG, ATD), structural (XRD, TEM), morphological (SEM) and optical (RD-UV–Vis and PL) properties, as well as the evaluation of their photocatalytic performance, using as a model contaminant the textile dye-azo black-reactive acid No 5 (RB5). There are few studies related to the photodegradation of textile dyes using perovskite-type materials. The materials were synthesized by the sonochemical method and heat treated at 500 °C. The characterization of all samples showed a cubic structure, with irregular morphologies, the optical band gap oscillates between 3.7 and 3.8 eV depending on the Co content. The photoactivity results show that the best performance was presented for the sample with a Co content of 0.2, reaching a removal of 98% in 120 min under UV irradiation.