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This work investigates the effects of double ion substitution on the ferroelectric, electrochemical, dielectric and photocatalytic properties of Gd and Fe doped La1-yGdyNi1-xFexO3 nanoparticles (NPs). La1-yGdyNi1-xFexO3 was fabricated by facile micro-emulsion path and its properties were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman scattering, Fourier Transform of Infrared (FTIR), energy dispersive x-rays (EDX) techniques. It has a distorted rhombohedral shape with crystallite size within the range of 17–23 nm. The doped material has a spherical heterogeneous morphology, and its surface area increased with increased doping. The electrochemical (CV, EIS, and I-V), conductivity and dielectric (dielectric constant and low dielectric & tangent loss) properties of La1-yGdyNi1-xFexO3 were dependent on the contents of the dopants (Gd and Fe). The doped material had improved specific capacitance compared to the undoped LaNiO3 due to the synergistic effect of Gd and Fe on the doped materials. The conductivity of Gd and Fe doped LaNiO3 5.16 × 104 Sm−1 was enhanced compared to the undoped LaNiO3 3.52 × 10−2 Sm1. Furthermore, hysteresis loop was used to investigate the coercivity (Hc), saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanence (Mr) of the material. The Ms and Mr values were enhanced with the content of the dopants. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the material in degrading malachite green (MG) dye was studied. La1-yGdyNi1-xFexO3 NPs was able to degrade up to 96.4% of the dye under visible light irradiation in 50 min. La1-yGdyNi1-xFexO3 has remarkable dielectric, electrochemical, ferroelectric and photo-catalytic properties and have potential applications in microwave, electrical, electronic, energy storage devices. It is also an active photo-catalyst material for the removal/oxidation of toxic pollutants from the environment.

In the present investigation, La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3 (x,y = 0.0, 0.12, 0.36, 0.60) perovskite was fabricated via a facile micro-emulsion route. The synthesized perovskites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques to examine the effect of Co and Fe ions on the physico-chemical properties. The ferroelectric, dielectric, and magnetic properties of La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3 were changed significantly as a function of dopants contents (Co and Fe ions). Outcomes revealed that the dielectric, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of LaCrO3 perovskite can be tuned significantly via Co and Fe doping and La0.40Co0.60Cr0.40Fe0.60O3 have potential for photocatalytic dye removal under (visible) light expoure. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the pristine LaCrO3 and La0.40Co0.60Cr0.40Fe0.60O3 photocatalyst was evaluated under (visible) light irradiation for crystal violet (CV) dye. Experimental results revealed that La0.40Co0.60Cr0.40Fe0.60O3 photocatalyst degrdae almost 77.21% CV dye with the rate constant value of 0.01475 min−1. In the presence of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) scavenger, the PCA of the La0.40Co0.60Cr0.40Fe0.60O3 photocatalyst and rate constant value of the photocatalytic reaction decreased to 32.5% and 0.00491 min−1, suggesting the superoxide as main active specie. Results revealed that Co and Fe doping doped material is efficient for photocatalytic presentations under solar light expoure.

A series of Bi and Fe doped La1−x Bi x Cr1−y Fe y O3 (x = 0.00–0.10 and y = 0.02–0.12) perovskites were fabricated through a facile microemulsion method and were characterized by XRD, DC electrical-resistivity, dielectric, VSM, and UV–Visible measurements. Orthorhombic phase of synthesized substituted chromite nanocrystallite was confirmed by powdered XRD analysis with crystallite size in 47.8–32.9 nm range. DC electrical resistivity was observed to increase from 1.70–39.99 × 108 Ω-cm. Dielectric parameters analyzed in frequency range of 20 kHz–20 MHz were decreased, while magnetic parameters were observed to increase with the increase in dopant (Bi+3 and Fe+3) concentration. Whereas coercivity values was low (narrow hysteresis loop), which indicate the soft ferromagnetic of the prepared material materials which are quite useful to employ in storage devices and electronics. Moreover, La1−x Bi x Cr1−y Fe y O3 degraded 90.80% Rhodamine B dye under visible light irradiation within 55 min. The increase in electrical resistivity, while decrease in dielectric parameters was also observed with increase in dopant concentration, ferromagnetic nature and excellent photocatalytic properties make this material suitable for high frequency energy devices, microwave appliances as well as an excellent magnetically separable photocatalyst for the purification of contaminated wastewater.

La1-xGdxCr1-yNiyO3 nanoparticles were synthesized by micro-emulsion approach. The fabricated NPs were characterized by EDX, SEM, XRD, VSM and UV–Vis techniques. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the successful substitution of Gd3+ and Ni3+ ions into the LaCrO3 structure with rhombohedral structure. The lattice parameters, i.e., bulk density, X-ray density, porosity and crystallite size were calculated for doped and undoped LaCrO3. Morphology of the synthesized NPs shows the aggregation of particles. The average crystallite size determined through XRD and SEM was in the range 30–45 nm. The optical band gaps energy calculated using Tauc plots for undoped and doped material was found to be 2.17 eV–2.03 eV. The Hysteresis study revealed that the magnetization saturation of Gd3+ and Ni3+doped LaCrO3 was greater than un-doped NPs showing the ferromagnetic properties of fabricated materials, which gradually increased by increasing the dopant Gd3+ and Ni3+ concentration. Investigation of dielectric properties for doped and undoped materials revealed that the dielectric constant and dielectric loss shows a decreasing trend at higher frequency due to the decrease in various types of polarization. Photocatalytic activities of as-synthesized La1-xGdxCr1-yNiyO3 NPs were evaluated by the degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye. It was observed that about 94.39% CV dye was degraded by as synthesized NPs in 45 min of UV light irradiation. The results revealed that doping of Gd3+ and Ni3+ in the crystal lattice of LaCrO3 NPs reduces the band gap energy and significantly improves the dielectric and magnetic properties, which make them promising candidates to be used as photo-catalyst for the degradations of toxic textile dyes effluent, and for electronic and microwave devices.

Cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) doped lanthanum ortho-ferrite with a composition of La1-xCox Fe1-yCryO3 (x, y = 0.0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, 0.60, 0.75) were fabricated by micro-emulsion route. The effect of Co2+ and Cr3+ cation substitution on the structural and dielectric properties was explored by XRD, FTIR, AFM, magnetic analysis, dielectric and ferroelectric measurements, which showed orthorhombic geometry. Various parameters like lattice constant (a, b, c), bulk density (ρm), X-ray density (ρx), porosity (P) and crystalline size were determined. By increasing dopant contents, the saturation magnetization was also increased and exhibited ferromagnetic property and LaFeO3 exhibits anti-ferromagnetism. The maximum value of magnetic saturation (0.841 emu) and Mr (0.420 emu) was found for highly substituted La0.40Co0.60Fe0.40Cr0.60O3 form. Through polarization electric (P-E) loops, the ferroelectric nature of fabricated nanoparticles was confirmed. It was observed that the values of dielectric constant (ɛ ), dielectric loss (ɛ ) and loss tangent (tanᵟ) were decreased with increasing the frequency. In addition, the conductivity is continuously increased with increasing frequency as well as dopant concentration. Furthermore, photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by degrading methyl orange (MO) dye under UV irradiation and it was found that most substituted nanomaterial La0.40 Co0.60Fe0.40Cr0.60O3 exhibited maximum degradation of 91.01% of MO dye. Results revealed that the lanthanum ortho-ferrite properties can be tuned by doping with Cr and Co for practical applications in different filed since the ferroelectric, magnetic and photocatalytic properties were changed as a function of dopant concentration.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) were fabricated through green route using pomegranate (Punica granatum) seeds extract. The Fe2O3 NPs were characterized by UV–vis, XRD, EDX, SEM and AFM techniques. The adopted green rout furnished semi spherical Fe2O3 NPs, uniformly distributed and particle size in the range of 25–55 nm. The LCMS/MS was performed for the identification of biomolecule present in the extract of pomegranate seeds and p-hydroxy benzoic acid, gallic acid, methyl gallate, catechin, kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside, 3-deoxyflavonoids, magnolol, ferulic acid, vanillic acid and pinocembrin along with other minor constituents were detected in the extracts using for Fe2O3 NPs. The synthesized Fe2O3 NPs showed excellent photocatalytic activity against reactive blue under UV light irradiation and maximum degradation of 95.08% was achieved with 56 min of reaction time. In view of promising activity, the Fe2O3 NPs could be used photocatalyst for the degradation of dyes in wastewater and pomegranate seeds extract can be applied as eco-benign and cost effective approach for Fe2O3 NPs synthesis. Keywords: Punica granatum, Green synthesis, Iron oxide nanoparticles, Photocatalysis, Dye degradation

Due to an increasing awareness of the harmful effects of synthetic dyes among the global community, the demand for natural dyes in the textile sector has increased. The current study has been conducted to explore coconut coir, that is, Cocos nucifera, as a new dye yielding plant for wool dyeing under ultrasonic (US) radiation. Unirradiated and US-irradiated extracts of coconut coir were utilized to dye unirradiated and US-irradiated wool fabrics. To make the process more sustainable, acacia, henna, turmeric and pomegranate extracts as biomordants were used to dye wool fabric at 65℃ for 45 min. It was found that a good color yield was achieved by dyeing US-treated wool with US-treated acidic methanolic extract at 65℃ for 45 min. It is found that biomordanting profoundly added value in coloration and also enhanced the fastness rating of the dyed wool fabrics. It is concluded that US rays have excellent efficacy for exploring the coloring wealth of plants for dyeing of natural fabrics.

La1-xBixCo1-yFeyO3 perovskite was prepared by micro-emulsion method and effect of the Fe and Bi doping on the properties of perovskite was investigated. As-prepared perovskite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. La1-xBixCo1-yFeyO3 perovskite showed distorted rhombohedral structure and particle size was in the range of 33.05–57.41 nm. Doping of perovskite with Bi and Fe enhanced the direct current (DC) resistivity. Dielectric parameters were studied in the range of 20 to 20 MHz and vibrating magnetometery revealed that the Mr and Ms values were higher for La0.75Bi0.25Co0.75Fe0.25O3, whereas LaCoO3 showed higher value of Hc. Photocatalytic activity (PCA) was evaluated by degrading congo red dye and Bi and Fe doped perovskite showed significantly higher activity versus LaCoO3. Results revealed that the doping of LaCoO3 with Bi and Fe enhanced the magnetic, dielectric and catalytic properties of LaCoO3. Keywords: LaCoO3 perovskite, Bi and Fe doping, Characterization, Properties, Photocatalysis

In this study graphene oxide (GO) reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites hydrogels were synthesized and used as efficient adsorbents for Drimarene Brilliant Blue K-4BL. GO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by modified Hummer’s method. The composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed homogeneous dispersion of reinforcement in the synthesized composites. Moreover thermal stability of the composites was significantly enhanced by the addition of graphene oxide nanoparticles. The synthesized composites were used for the removal of Drimarene brilliant Blue from model waste water. The effect of pH, content of GONPs and initial concentration of Drimarene Brilliant Blue K-4BL on the adsorption capacity of synthesized GO/PVA composites were investigated. The equilibrium isothermal data were studied by applying Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Results demonstrated that the adsorption process is well described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. According to the Langmuir model, maximum adsorption capacity i.e. 32mg/g was obtained at 0.7% GO/PVA composite. From the kinetic study it was concluded that pseudo-second-order model is the best fitted. Synthesized composites showed excellent reusability (almost 95 %) for the adsorption of Drimarene Brilliant Blue K-4BL after four successive cycles of adsorption and desorption. Thus, the GO/PVA composites demonstrated a great potential in terms of cost effectiveness, efficiency and reusability for the removal of Drimarene Brilliant Blue K-4BL dye.

Chromium-doped cobalt perovskite (Co1−xCrxFeO3) were fabricated via micro-emulsion approach. Phase, morphology and elemental composition of fabricated materials were confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX). The X-ray density, bulk density, porosity, cell volume and lattice parameters were calculated, the average crystallite size was found to be 28 nm. EDX analysis confirmed the occurrence of Fe, Cr, Co and O in the fabricated perovskite. The Wagner and Koop’s theory was used to evaluate the dielectric loss factors and dielectric constant. By increasing the dopant concentration, dielectric constant was decreased and appearance of polarization electric loops implies the ferroelectric nature of Co1−xCrxFeO3 NPs, which enables them to be used in multi-layered capacitors and storage devices. Furthermore, the band gap energy was assessed by empoying Tauc plot, which was found to be 1.88 eV. Finally, the photocatalytic activity (PCA) was appraised using MB (methylene blue) dye as model, which was degraded up to 55.38% in 80 min under solar light irradiation. Results depicted that the Co1−xCrxFeO3 NPs dielectric, ferroelectric and catalytic characteristics were dependent to dopant content.

In the present study, La1 − xCrxFeO3(x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.0) was synthesized by micro-emulsion route and characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The dielectric, ferroelectric and photocatalytic properties were investigated and compared with un-doped material. The XRD analysis revealed orthorhombic geometry of La1 − xCrxFeO3(x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.0), Cr was doped successfully into the lattice structure of LaFeO3and particles were spherical and in agglomerated form. The grain sizes were recorded to be 15, 16.9, 17.1, 17.65 and 18.3 (nm) for La1 − xCrxFeO3(x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.0), respectively. EDX analysis confirmed the purity of LaCrFeO3samples. The lattice parameters, bulk density, X-ray density, crystalline size and porosity were determined were also determined of all the La1 − xCrxFeO3samples. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss values decreased at higher frequency and Cr concentration affected the dielectric properties. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) was evaluated by degrading Congo Red (CR) dye under solar light irradiation and up to 85.43% dye degradation was achieved within 45 min of irradiation. Phyto-toxicity analysis before and after dye degradation was performed, which revealed the toxicity reduction in response of dye degradation. Results revealed that lanthanum ferrite (perovskite) doping with Cr could possibly be employed to enhance the ferroelectric, dielectric and photocatalytic properties.

Nanoparticles (NPs) of Gd1−xMxCrO3 (M = La, Co, Bi) were synthesized by microemulsion techniques, involving simultaneous single ion substitution philosophy. Structural, magnetic, dielectric properties, morphology, elemental analysis and distribution size of fabricated nano-crystalline were determined. The techniques employed for investigation are X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), dielectric measurement and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), photoluminescence (PL) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. XRD pattern confirm that all the as-synthesized NPs have orthorhombic structure and successfully substituted of different metal ions into the regular crystal structure of GdCrO3. The lattice parameters X-ray density, bulk density, porosity and grain size were calculated from XRD pattern of Gd1−xMxCrO3 (M = La, Co, Bi) substituted and un-substituted GdCrO3. The magnetic hysteresis loop of fabricated product confirmed that the entire sample exhibits ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. It was also found that the fabricated NPs show excellent photocatalytic activity (PCA) against Congo-red, about 78.24% after 55 min of incubation.

A series of Gd, Co and Fe substituted LaNiO3 perovskite oxides were synthesized via microemulsion approach. The influence of dopants was investigated on the basis of ferroelectric, dielectric and photocatalytic properties. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV–Visible spectroscopic techniques were employed for the characterization of prepared samples. XRD analysis confirmed the distorted rhombohedral phase with space group R3¯c and the grain size was in 65–48 nm range. The ferroelectric and dielectric parameters including AC conductivity were increased except AC resistivity with dopant contents. The band gap energy was reduced significantly in doped samples from 3.01 to 2.43 eV. A decrease in PL (photoluminescence) intensity was also observed in doped samples. The PCA (photocatalytic activity) of pure and substituted LaNiO3 was studied by photodegradation of RhB (rhodamine B) dye under visible light exposure. The LNGCF5 (x = y = 0.25) composition exhibited superior PCA of 97% within 120 min irradiation time in comparison to pure LaNiO3. The rate constants for LaNiO3 and LNGCF5 were 0.006 min−1 and 0.0096 min−1, respectively. Furthermore, effect of catalyst load and pH on kinetics of PCA was also studied, which affected the RhB dye degradation significantly. The enhanced dielectric constant and AC conductivity of LNGCF (1–5) introduce these materials as potential candidates for dielectric resonator and memories devices. The increased ferroelectric polarization along with low band gap energy improved their ferroelectric photovoltaic response, which makes their feasibility in photovoltaic devices. Superior PCA of LNGCF5 under visible illumination in comparison to pure LaNiO3 introduces this material as promising photocatalyst for the removal of hazardous and toxic dyes in effluents under solar light irradiation.

Recently, the biosynthesis of nanoparticle attracted the attention of scientific community due to its simplicity, ease and eco-friendly nature. In the present study, Camellia Sinensis (C. Sinensis) leaves extract was employed for the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs). The fabricated NiNPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction techniques. The photocatalytic activity (PCA) was evaluated by degrading crystal violet (CV) dye. The NiNPs size was in the range of 43.87-48.76nm, spherical in shape and uniformly distributed with magnetization saturation of 0.073 emu/g. The NiNPs showed promising PCA under solar light irradiation. At optimized conditions, up to 99.5% CV dye degradation was achieved. Results revealed that biosynthesis can be adopted for the synthesis of NiNPs in nano-size range since it is simple, cost effective and eco-friendly in nature versus physico-chemical methods.

Cobalt-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated using Punica granatum peel extract from cobalt nitrate hexahydrate at low temperature. The synthesized cobalt-oxide NPs were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, atomic force microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-visible techniques. The cobalt-oxide NPs were in highly uniform shape and size was in the size of 40–80 nm. Photo-catalytic activity (PCA) of the synthesized NPs was evaluated by degrading Remazol Brilliant Orange 3R (RBO 3R) dye and a degradation of 78.45% was achieved (dye conc. 150 mg/L) using 0.5 g cobalt-oxide NPs for 50 min irradiation time. In view of eco-benign and cost-effective nature, the present investigation revealed that P. granatum could be used for the synthesis of cobalt-oxide NPs for photo-catalytic applications.

The use of polymer blends as matrix materials for nanocomposites is recognized as a challenging route for the development of a novel form of high-geared materials having merits of both polymer blends and nanocomposites. Improvement in the properties (e.g., chemical, thermal, mechanical, etc.) of polymer blends along with modifications to achieve stabilized blend morphology by using nanofillers has attracted the attention of scientists. This chapter presents recent developments in the polymer blends-based nanocomposites. Emphasis is placed on polymer blends-based different types of nanocomposites, their fabrication techniques, and their applications. Properties and intercalation of polymer layered silicate material is also described. In addition, factors affecting the mechanical properties and changes in the morphology of polymer blends with noncomposites are discussed while modern developments are also highlighted.

A series of La1−xCexNi1−yFeyO3 (x, y = 0.00–0.25) NPs was fabricated via micro-emulsion route and effect of doping was investigated on the basis of optical, photocatalytic and structural properties. The as-synthesized NPs were characterized via XRD, Raman analysis, SEM and UV–visible techniques. The XRD results confirmed the rhombohedral perovskite phase particles with particles of 60–80 nm range. UV–vis absorption edge showed significant red shift thereby tuning the band gap from 2.77 to 2.64 eV. The photocatalytic effectiveness of LaNiO3 and La0.80Ce0.20Ni0.80Fe0.20O3 catalysts was performed by degrading Congo red (CR) dye under visible light exposure. Substituted catalyst exhibited superior photodegradation by showing 97% degradation in comparison to pristine LaNiO3 (63% only) in 120 min. Degradation of CR followed the pseudo fist order kinetics. In addition, the catalyst dose effect, dye concentration and pH variation was studied for Cr dye degradation. Enhanced photocatalytic activity and narrow bandgap of Ce and Fe doped LaNiO3 introduce such materials as efficient visible active photocatalysts to be utilized in dye removal application from waste water and in photovoltaic applications, respectively.

Pristine LaCrO3 and Co, Fe co-doped La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3 (x, y = 0.24) perovskite nanoparticles was prepared via micro-emulsion method and the La1-xCoxCr1−yFeyO3 composite was prepared with 5% reduced-graphene oxide (r-GO) by ultra-sonication process. The morphological, structural and thermal properties were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The effect of Co, Fe doping and r-GO on the conductivity of the synthesized samples was investigated by current-voltage (I-V) analysis. The perovskite structure was orthorhombic with particle size in 21.24 to 31.58 nm range. Crystal violet (CV) dye was selected for evaluation of photocatalytic activity (PCA) of the prepared materials under visible light irradiation. La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3/r-GO showed remarkably higher PCA as compared to pristine LaCrO3 and La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3. The r-GO composite furnished the CV dye degradation of 89.08% within 100 min irradiation under visible light at the light intensity in the range of 864.45–872.86 W/m2. This valuable enhancement in PCA was due to the structural features of La1-xCoxCr1-yFeyO3/r-GO nanocomposite. In view of promising PCA, the composite has potential for the catalytic degradation of dyes in effluents using sunlight irradiation.

From the past few decades, rapid industrializations of the world communities have seriously influenced our natural ecosystem. The efforts to develop/invent a novel material as a photocatalyst for non-degradable organic contaminants are keen need for recent ages. We report Gd and Co-doped LaNiO3 (La1−yGdyNi1−xCoxO3) synthesized via co-precipitation method and nanocomposites was prepared with 10% reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) via ultra-sonication method. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to investigate their structure and allowed Raman vibrations. The particle size, shape, and elemental compositions were examined by SEM and EDX analysis. The La1−yGdyNi1−xCoxO3/rGO nanocomposites possessed extensive BET surface area (134 m2/g) compared to pristine LaNiO3 (77 m2/g) and La1−yGdyNi1−xCoxO3 (89 m2/g). The photocatalytic properties of as-prepared materials were enhanced by extensive BET surface area. The effect of doping and the addition of r-GO on the electrical conductivity of the fabricated materials were investigated via two probe current-voltage (I-V) tests. Energy band gap (Eg) were calculated from UV–visible absorbance spectra using Tauc plots., band gap values shows a decreasing trend by increasing dopant Gd and Co content i.e. 2.80 (eV) to 2.07 (eV) for doped samples, and subsequently decrease on composites formation 1.90 (eV). Narrowing in the band gap value is considered very important for many optical and catalytic applications. For application studies, the photocatalytic activities of the fabricated photocatalyst were tested under natural sunlight by using methylene blue (MB) as a typical contaminant. After 90 min of irradiation, the pristine LaNiO3 photocatalyst degraded 26.3% of MB dye, while Gd and Co-doped LaNiO3 degraded 47.1% of MB dye. Surprisingly, the La1−yGdyNi1−xCoxO3/r-GO nanocomposites photocatalyst degraded 81.4% of MB, which is faster than the pristine LaNiO3 photocatalyst. The enhancement in the degradation efficiency and degradation rate of La1−yGdyNi1−xCoxO3/r-GO nanocomposites is accredited to its novel structures and r-GO supplement. The material with narrow band gap and high electrical conductivity are good choice as catalyst and other optical applications.

Due to developing environmental and ecological consciousness, various end-use applications have driven the attentions of scientists to develop new innovative materials. In the recent years, natural polymers and their blends strove a considerable interest. This chapter is intended to provide a brief outline of work that covers the area of blends; major class of algal polymers, their extraction methods from algae, their blending techniques with natural polymers, as well as their properties are also emphasized. Several methods of blending are amalgamated for the enhancement of mechanical properties of the blends. Moreover, economical impact and future direction of these blends are also critically reviewed. This chapter concludes that the blends form one of the emergent areas in polymer science that gained attention for practice in numerous bids ranging from building industries to the automobile.