Influence of Mn2O3 content on the textural and catalytic properties of Mn2O3/Al2O3/SiO2 nanocatalyst

Mn2O3/Al2O3/SiO2 nanocomposite was prepared by a sol–gel process. The effects of various amounts of Mn2O3 on textural and catalytic properties of the nanocomposite were also investigated. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area measurement (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The results showed that, Mn2O3 addition increased surface area of the nanocomposites from 33.2 to 300.9 m2/g. The Mn2O3 amount had greatly affected the adsorption efficiency of methylene blue. The 60 wt% Mn2O3/Al2O3/SiO2 nanocomposite exhibited an excellent removal performance for methylene blue, making it a promising candidate for waste water treatment.