Browsing by Author "Thambiliyagodage, C. J"

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Activity enhanced TiO2 nanomaterials for photodegradation of dyes-A review
(Elsevier, 2021-12-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J
Wastewater generation due to anthropogenic activities has become a tremendous problem that the world is struggling to solve. Dyes release to normal water reservoirs badly impacts the environment causing severe issues. Removal of dyes from wastewater streams is important. The advanced oxidation process is advantageous as the dye molecules are degraded into harmless species. TiO2 is the most promising semiconductor that has been researched. However, the use of it in the visible range is restricted due to its high band gap (3.0 eV). TiO2 has been modified in order to enhance visible light sensitivity. This review mainly focused on the effects of doping TiO2 with metals and non-metals and coupling with metal and non-metal oxides to improve its efficiency in photodegrading dyes. TiO2 doped with Fe, Cu and Ag as the main metal species, N, S, and C as the main non-metals are summarized. Further, the effect of doping with multi non-metals and co-doping of metals and non-metals are also discussed. Moreover, coupling TiO2 with metal oxides and graphene oxide for enhanced photocatalytic activity is also summarized in this review.
Open Access
Ball milling–A green and sustainable technique for the preparation of titanium based materials from ilmenite
(Elsevier, 2022-01-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Wijesekera, R
Ilmenite is a naturally available mineral that is highly applicable in the synthesis of pure TiO2. Titania mainly presents in four polymorphs as rutile, anatase, brookite and TiO2–B. Titania could be mined from minerals such as ilmenite, leucoxene and rutile among which ilmenite is the main source. Ball milling is a mechanical activation method used before subjecting ilmenite to chemical treatment methods to produce titanium based materials. Effect of milling time, milling intensity, milling atmosphere, the introduction of reducing agents on the particle size, surface area, annealing temperature, and the crystal structure of the products are reviewed. The effect of ball milling on acid digestion of ilmenite in hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid is discussed. Further, the effect of mechanical activation on hydrothermal treatment of ilmenite is explained in detail.
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Catalytic graphitization in nanocast carbon monoliths by iron, cobalt and nickel nanoparticles
(Pergamon, 2018-08-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Ulrich, S; Araujo, P. T; Bakker, M. G
Hierarchically porous carbon monoliths containing metal (Fe, Co, Ni) nanoparticles were synthesized in a one-pot synthesis through a nanocasting technique using silica (SiO2) as the template. The macropore structure of SiO2 has been replicated in nanocast carbon and N2 adsorption analysis shows that the monoliths have high surface area, high mesopore volume, and that micropores are also present. The temperature effect on catalytic graphitization was studied by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. It is observed that iron was capable of producing turbostratic carbon at 500 °C, while turbostratic carbon was produced at temperatures of 700 °C when cobalt and nickel are present. Iron, cobalt, and nickel were found to be good graphitization catalysts with the order of catalytic activity being iron > cobalt > nickel. Raman spectroscopy experiments provide insight into the degree of ordering of the carbon of each sample and are in agreement with the results from the other techniques: with increasing pyrolysis temperature, with and without the presence of metals, ordering of amorphous carbon is confirmed. Detailed analysis of the Raman spectroscopic data showed clear differences between the metal catalyzed and non-catalyzed samples enabling the contributions from the two different mechanisms to be clearly distinguished.
Open Access
Eco-friendly porous carbon materials for wastewater treatment
(Springer, Singapore, 2019-08-07) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Cooray, V. Y; Perera, I. N; Wijesekera, R. D
Different porous carbon materials were applied to remove organic compounds and heavy metals from wastewater. Hierarchically, porous nitrogen rich monolithic carbon (HPC) was synthesized through the sol-gel synthesis method and carbonization process. Rice husk (RH), an agricultural waste material followed by carbonization at two different temperatures (RH400 and RH600) was used as the naturally generated porous carbon composite. Activated carbon (AC) was used as the control. According to the FT-IR spectra, different functional groups are present in all adsorbents. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images show an irregular shaped, random disordered macropore structure in RH and a robust sponge-like disordered macropore structure with ligaments in HPC. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images of these materials show a disordered mesopore network. Adsorption capacities of these porous carbon materials were determined for organic dyes and metal ions. Methylene blue and Methyl orange were used as the model organic compounds and Pb2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ ions were selected as the metal ions. The experimental data demonstrate that the adsorption capacity of AC for Methyl orange (5.88 mg/g) is much higher than that of the alternatives (RH400–1.97 mg/g, RH600–0.69 mg/g, and HPC – 1.14 mg/g). Adsorption capacity of all the adsorbents for Methylene blue is quite similar. Adsorption capacity of RH400 for Pb2+ is much higher than that of RH600, AC and HPC. RH400 has a greater adsorption for Cu2+ and Ni2+ than the other adsorbents. All adsorbents show a low adsorption capacity for Cd2+. RH400 is a promising adsorbent for wastewater purification.
Open Access
Effect of surfactants on morphology and textural parameters of silica nanoparticles derived from paddy husk and their efficient removal of methylene blue
(International Conference on Innovations in Energy Engineering & Cleaner Production (IEE CP’21), 2021) Gunathilaka, H; Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Usgodaarchchi, L; Angappan, S
Effective removal of textile dyes is important in environmental remediation especially for decontamination of wastewater. Herein, we report the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) from paddy husk with varying concentrations of surfactants, Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) by sol-gel synthesis method. Ratios of the surfactants CTAB: PEG were varied as 2:0 (MSN1),1:1 (MSN2), 0:2 (MSN3). MSNs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer (BET), Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and X-ray diffractometer. According to the SEM images, MSNs of all the combinations were aggregated with spherical and irregular shaped nanoparticles. MSNs synthesized with a 1:1 surfactant ratio showed more spherical nanoparticles. BET surface areas of MSN1, MSN2, and MSN3 are 468.35, 95.94, 177.46 m2/g, respectively. TGA curve indicated that desorption of the physisorbed water was completed at 125 °C. The effect of dye removal by the MSNs was studied on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB). Effect of dye concentration (5-30 mg/l), adsorbent dosage (5-20 mg), pH of the medium (2-10), ionic strength of the medium (0-6g/l NaCl), presence of a heavy metal (Pb2+- 0-500 mg/l) and temperature (25-55 °C) on MB adsorption was studied. At all the varied parameters, the adsorption efficiency of MB varied as MSN1> MSN3> MSN2, being similar to the trend of the surface area. The percentage of MB adsorption decreased with increasing MB concentration while it increased with increasing adsorbent dosage. The highest efficiency of MB adsorption was obtained at pH 10 and it decreased with increasing ionic strength and increasing concentration of heavy metal ions. The maximum percentage of MB adsorption resulted at 55 °C. Therefore, it can be concluded that the MSNs synthesized using only CTAB as the surfactant is an effective adsorbent in removing textile dyes from wastewater.
Open Access
Efficient photodegradation activity of α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5/TiO2 and Fe2TiO5/TiO2 nanocomposites synthesized from natural ilmenite
(Elsevier, 2021-12-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Usgodaarachchi, L; Shanitha, M; Wijesekera, R; Lansakara, B; Bakker, M
Photocatalysis is an attractive widely used environmental remediation technique. Ternary (α-Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5/TiO2) and binary (Fe2TiO5/TiO2) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by using natural ilmenite sand as the raw material. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by microscopic and spectroscopic analytical techniques. Both nanocomposites were catalytically active for the photodegradation of methylene blue upon irradiation by a light source (LED and sunlight). The visible light absorption of both composites was improved by the presence of Fe2TiO5 and α-Fe2O3 which absorb in the visible. The ternary nanocomposite with type II band alignments was more active than the binary nanocomposite with type I band alignment in the visible light exposure. Under sunlight exposure, binary nanocomposites were more active than the ternary nanocomposites. Band alignment, percentage of TiO2 in the composites and the proper formation of the structure of the composites govern the photocatalytic activity. OH● is suggested as the main species responsible for the photodegradation of methylene blue.
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Efficient removal of methylene blue by turbostratic carbon/Fe3C/Fe composite synthesized by catalytic graphitization of sucrose
(Elsevier, 2021-12-07) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Usgodaarachchi, L
Turbostratic carbon/Fe3C/Fe composite was prepared by catalytic graphitization of sucrose by α-Fe2O3. The synthesized composites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD patterns revealed the formation of turbostratic carbon with a d spacing of 0.3412 nm and the presence of Fe3C and Fe nanoparticles. Raman spectrum exhibited the D, G and G' peaks. XPS analysis shows the presence of graphitic carbon and +3 oxidation state of iron. Synthesized composite can remove methylene blue with an adsorption capacity of 17.8 mg/g at pH 7. Adsorption follows pseudo second order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model. As the synthesized composite is magnetic it could be easily separated from the mixture and could be reused effectively without significant activity loss for five cycles.
Open Access
Fabrication of Fe2TiO5/TiO2 binary nanocomposite from natural ilmenite and their photocatalytic activity under solar energy
(Elsevier, 2021-01-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Mirihana, S; Wijesekera, R; Madusanka, D. S; Kandanapitiye, M; Bakker, M
Heterogeneous photocatalysis is an attractive alternative route to enhance the degradation of environmental pollutants. In this work, we have fabricated Fe2TiO5/TiO2 binary nanocomposites using natural ilmenite via bottom up approach. Synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, X-ray fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV–Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These nanoparticles are in the range of 40–70 nm and are of type I heterostructure with a band gap of 2.02 eV. They are sensitive to visible light and show higher photocatalytic activity under direct solar energy. Photocatalytic activity of Fe2TiO5/TiO2 was assessed using a model textile dye, methylene blue. Over a period of 2 h, 76% of methylene blue was photodegraded at a rate of 0.0084 min−1 in the presence of Fe2TiO5/TiO2.
Open Access
Leaching of ilmenite to produce titanium based materials: a review
(Springer International Publishing, 2021-12) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Wijesekera, R; Bakker, M. G
Naturally available ilmenite mineral is being used as a starting material to produce titanium based products that have wide applications. Transformation of ilmenite to diferent titanium based materials by strong and weak acid, and base digestion, is discussed. Efects of temperature, concentration of acid/base, reaction time on dissolution of ilmenite are extensively reviewed. Characterization of the starting materials, intermediates and the products by x-ray difraction, thermogravimetry, brunauer–emmett–teller surface area analysis, and scanning electron microscopy are presented. Further, advantages and disadvantages associated with the digestion methods are discussed.
Open Access
Ligand exchange reactions and PEG stabilization of gold nanoparticles
(Elsevier, 2021-12-21) Thambiliyagodage, C. J
Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized by the citrate reduction method. Au NPs were aggregated when mixed with mercaptoethanol (ME), dopamine (DAH) and adenine (AD) as the surface passivating citrate molecules were incompletely but heavily replaced by them as supported by the occurrence of a new peak at a longer wavelength and eventual disappearance of the peak/s in the UV–Visible spectra due to the settlement of the aggregated NPs. Transmission electronic microscopic (TEM) images showed aggregated NPs. AD was increasingly replaced by an increasing concentration of dithiothreitol (DTT) in the range of 20 μM–10 mM, but an incomplete replacement was resulted even after using highly concentrated DTT (10 mM). mPEGSH passivates the gold surface where they bind to the gold surface via a mushroom-like configuration. mPEGSH stabilizes the Au NPs preventing aggregation upon mixing with ME, DAH and AD, as revealed by no change in the position and the absorbance of the localized resonance surface plasmon peak in the UV–Visible spectra and well-dispersed Au NPs in the TEM images. Mushroom-like arrangement of mPEGSH on the Au NPs allow adsorption of ME, DAH and AD as revealed by the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic data.
Open Access
Ligand exchange reactions and PEG stabilization of gold nanoparticles
(Elsevier, 2022-01-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J
Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized by the citrate reduction method. Au NPs were aggregated when mixed with mercaptoethanol (ME), dopamine (DAH) and adenine (AD) as the surface passivating citrate molecules were incompletely but heavily replaced by them as supported by the occurrence of a new peak at a longer wavelength and eventual disappearance of the peak/s in the UV–Visible spectra due to the settlement of the aggregated NPs. Transmission electronic microscopic (TEM) images showed aggregated NPs. AD was increasingly replaced by an increasing concentration of dithiothreitol (DTT) in the range of 20 μM–10 mM, but an incomplete replacement was resulted even after using highly concentrated DTT (10 mM). mPEGSH passivates the gold surface where they bind to the gold surface via a mushroom-like configuration. mPEGSH stabilizes the Au NPs preventing aggregation upon mixing with ME, DAH and AD, as revealed by no change in the position and the absorbance of the localized resonance surface plasmon peak in the UV–Visible spectra and well-dispersed Au NPs in the TEM images. Mushroom-like arrangement of mPEGSH on the Au NPs allow adsorption of ME, DAH and AD as revealed by the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopic data.
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One pot synthesis of α-Fe2O3/turbostratic carbon composites and their photocatalytic activity under sunlight
(Elsevier, 2021-10-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Nakandala, S; Siriwardana, B; Lansakara, B
Sucrose naturally obtained from sugar cane was catalytically graphitized by incorporation of varying amounts of iron (1, 5, 7.5 and 10%) as a one-pot synthesis. The weight of iron was varied relative to the weight of sucrose. Synthesized sucrose-Fe2O3 nanocomposites (FeGC) were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and UV-Visible spectroscopy. It is observed that turbostratic carbon is produced upon the incorporation of iron and the percentage of graphitization increase with increasing loading of iron as revealed by XRD analysis. Quantitative analysis of Raman spectra confirm that the ordering of carbon increase with increasing loading of iron. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of carbon with the highest iron loading (10FeGC), 0.50 mg/g is higher than that with carbon without any metal, AC (0.2 mg/g), and the highest adsorption capacity (0.58 mg/g) resulted in carbon with 5% iron (5FeGC). Methylene blue adsorption to AC and carbon with 1% iron (1FeGC) followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and carbon materials with 5, 7.5 and 10% iron followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The initial rate constant for the photodegradation of methylene blue in the presence of AC was 0.001 min−1 and that of 1FeGC (0.005 min−1) increased with increasing loading of iron where the highest initial rate constant (0.158 min−1) was obtained with 10FeGC. Ordered carbon enhances photocatalytic activity by being photoactive and increasing the separation of charges generated at α-Fe2O3.
Open Access
Photocatalytic activity of Fe and Cu co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light
(Springer US, 2021-07) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Mirihana, S
The photocatalytic activity of single transition metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles is well established. This article reports the synthesis of Fe and Cu co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with varying Fe and Cu concentrations by the sol–gel method and their photocatalytic activity towards photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and Diffuse reflectance UV–Visible spectroscopy. XRD patterns revealed the existence of both anatase and rutile phases which was confirmed by Raman and TEM analysis. Both XRD and Raman analysis confirmed the successful doping of Fe and Cu without causing any significant lattice distortions. Nanoparticles were aggregated as shown in TEM and SEM images. XPS analysis revealed the presence of the only Ti4+ in pure TiO2 while both Ti4+ and Ti3+ were present in doped TiO2 in addition to Fe3+, Cu+, and Cu2+. XRF analysis showed the presence of only Ti, Fe, and Cu in the co-doped nanoparticles. According to the diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis, the visible light sensitivity of TiO2 has increased upon doping with Fe and Cu. Single metal-doped nanoparticles were efficient than the co-doped nanoparticles for the degradation of methylene blue under visible light. Among the single doped nanoparticles, 0.05 Cu/TiO2 showed the highest rate constant (0.0195 min−1) while the maximum activity from the co-doped nanoparticles resulted in 0.05 Cu + 0.05 Fe/TiO2 (0.0098 min−1). The photocatalytic activity was decreased upon increasing the dopant (Fe/Cu) concentration due to the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, while due to the shielding effect, low photocatalytic activity resulted in co-doped nanoparticles with varying Fe and Cu loadings.
Open Access
Photocatalytic activity of Go/Fe3O4 fabricated by Sri Lankan graphite under visible light irradiation
(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021-10) Usgodaarachchi, L; Thambiliyagodage, C. J
Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using Sri Lankan naturally available graphite by modified Hummer’s method. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized successfully by co-precipitation of Fe3+ and Fe2+ in a 2:1 molar ratio via the addition of NH4OH. Magnetically separable GO/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was fabricated by synthesizing Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the presence of GO. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and FT-IR spectroscopy. The formation of GO was confirmed by the C(002) peak at 9.39° in the XRD pattern. XRD pattern of the nanoparticles confirms the formation of crystalline Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and the diffraction peak corresponds to graphene oxide disappear in the GO/ Fe3O4 due to the absence of the folded structure of graphene oxide. SEM image of GO shows the crumpled and wrinkled lamellae structure of graphene oxide, and the images of GO/ Fe3O4 show the distribution of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with an average size of 107 nm on GO where the folded structure of GO was not present while restacking of the nanosheets, was observed. FT-IR spectrum of GO shows the presence of polar oxygenated functional groups such as carboxylic acid (-COOH), hydroxyl (-OH), and epoxy (-COC-). The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was evaluated on photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. The GO/ Fe3O4 shows better adsorption behaviour and excellent photocatalytic activity where it could be successfully used for three cycles without significant activity loss. The rate constant for the degradation of MB (0.0187 min-1 ) at the first cycle decreased to 0.0101 min-1 at the third cycle. The conversion of MB decreased from 98.31% at the first cycle to 92.15% at the third cycle. The drop in the conversion is only 6.16% going from cycle 1 to 3, which could be due to the accumulation of the MB molecules at the pore structure. The obtained high photocatalytic activity could be due to the enhanced charge separation resulted due to the presence of GO sheets and better interactions between GO and Fe 3O4.
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Photocatalytic activity of N, Fe and Cu co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under sunlight
(Elsevier, 2021-01-01) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Usgodaarachchi, L
Photocatalytic activity of N doped with one transition metal is well known. This article reports the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles doped with only N, N co-doped with Fe, N co-doped with Cu and N co-doped with both Fe and Cu by sol-gel method. Their photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue under sunlight. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and diffuse reflectance UV–visible spectroscopy (DRS). XRD analysis revealed the presence of anatase phase TiO2 nanoparticles which was confirmed by Raman spectroscopic and TEM analysis. The crystal structure has not been disturbed by doping with N, Fe and Cu as shown by both XRD and Raman analysis. TEM and SEM images exhibit the nanoparticles which are interconnected due to sintering. XPS analysis revealed the presence of the only Ti4+ in undoped TiO2 but both Ti4+ and Ti3+ are present in doped TiO2 nanoparticles. According to the DRS analysis, the band gap of all doped TiO2 is lower than that of the undoped TiO2, where N, Fe and Cu co-doped TiO2 showed the lowest band gap (2.51 eV) proving that the visible light sensitivity of TiO2 increase with metal and non-metal doping. The rate of photodegradation of methylene blue in the presence of undoped TiO2 (0.016 min−1) is higher than all the doped TiO2 nanoparticles. N doped TiO2 show the highest activity among the doped TiO2 nanoparticles (0.006 min−1). Doped TiO2 nanoparticles showed a lower photocatalytic activity due to the electron hole pair recombination and the shielding effect of the dopants.
Open Access
Porous carbon materials in biomedical applications
(2019-11-12) Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Mirihana, S; Gunathilaka, H
Recent advances in carbon based porous materials in biomedical science and technology have been discussed. Biomedical applications like drug delivery, tissue engineering, biomedicine, gene transfection, photothermal and photo-dynamic theory of porous carbon materials such as mesoporous carbon materials, carbon nanotubes, activated carbon, graphene and fullerenes have been briefed. Finally, future biomedical applications of new porous carbon materials including metal organic frameworks, carbon dots have been introduced in this mini review.
Open Access
Synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles derived from rice husk and surface-controlled amine functionalization for efficient adsorption of methylene blue from aqueous solution
(Elsevier, 2021-01-01) Usgodaarachchi, L; Thambiliyagodage, C. J; Wijesekera, R; Bakker, M. G
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were synthesized using rice husk (RH) as the raw material via sol-gel pathway using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure directing agent. Silica nanoparticles were successfully functionalized with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) via in-situ and post functionalization methods. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The amorphous silica nanoparticles were of 50–60 nm in diameter with a surface area of 150 m2/g, pore volume of 0.237 cm3/g and average pore size of 3.62 nm. Morphology and textural parameters were changed upon functionalization. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of MSN-A (4.94 mg/g) to adsorb 10 mg/L methylene blue (MB), was higher than in amine functionalized silica nanoparticles. The influence of experimental factors such as pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial MB concentration on adsorption of MB to MSN-A were studied. The equilibrium data for MB adsorption on mesoporous silica nanoparticles well fitted to Langmuir equation, with a maximum monolayer capacity of 19.26 mg/g. The adsorption of MB could be best described by the pseudo-second order model. The results indicate that MSN-A is a potential mesoporous material fabricated by cheap natural resources to remove MB from aqueous solutions.
Open Access
Synthesis, characterization and applications of metal nanoparticles supported on porous carbon
(ProQuest LLC, 2017) Thambiliyagodage, C. J
Porous carbon incorporating metal nanoparticles has been synthesized by nanocasting. The main two methods of synthesis were used: the formation of nanoparticles during the carbonization of carbon, and the formation of nanoparticles by metal precursor infiltration and reduction on porous carbon. The catalytic activity of nickel nanoparticles incorporated onto hierarchically porous carbon monoliths for the reduction of p-nitrophenol was studied. p-Quinoimine was identified as the stable intermediate. Catalytic graphitization of monolithic hierarchically porous carbon by iron, cobalt and nickel nanoparticles was investigated. The catalytic graphitization of amorphous carbon increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. Iron was capable of graphitizing carbon more effectively than cobalt and nickel, with cobalt being higher in activity than nickel. Oxygen and nitrogen rich mesoporous carbon were used to support gold nanoparticles and their catalytic activity was investigated for oxidation of benzyl alcohol in water. The catalysts showed significant catalytic activity, but loss of activity were found, resulting in decreasing conversion of benzyl alcohol on subsequent cycles.