Preparation of MgTiO nanoparticles for sonophotocatalytic degradation of triphenylmethane dyes.

MgTiO (magnesium dititanate) nanoparticles were prepared by a simple hydrothermal assisted post-annealing method and characterized with various analytical techniques. The catalytic properties (sonocatalytic, photocatalytic and sonophotocatalytic activity) were evaluated using the degradation of triphenylmethane dyes (crystal violet, basic fuchsin, and acid fuchsin). The sonophotocatalytic activity of MgTiO nanoparticles towards crystal violet was found to be ~2.9 times higher than the photocatalytic activity and ~20 times higher than that of the sonocatalytic processes. In addition, the sonophotocatalytic efficiency of MgTiO nanoparticles was found to be remarkable for the degradation of basic fuchsin (cationic dye) and acid fuchsin (anionic dye). The mechanism of these catalytic activities has been discussed in detail.