ZnO/graphene-oxide nanocomposite with remarkably enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance

In this work, a high-performance photocatalyst of ZnO/graphene-oxide (ZnO/GO) nanocomposite was synthesized via a facile chemical deposition route and used for the photodegradation of organic dye from water under visible light. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N(2) adsorption-desorption analysis, and UV-Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy. The ZnO/GO nanocomposite consisting of flower-like ZnO nanoparticles anchored on graphene-oxide sheets has a high surface area and hierarchical porosity, which is benefit to the adsorption and mass transfer of dye and oxygen species. For the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light, ZnO/GO nanocomposite exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency than graphene-oxide sheets and flower-like ZnO particles. Moreover, the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO/GO nanocomposite could be further improved by annealing the product in N(2) atmosphere. The outstanding photocatalytic performance was ascribed to the efficient photosensitized electron injection and repressed charge carriers recombination in the composite with GO as electron collector and transporter, thus leading to continuous generation of reactive oxygen species for the degradation of methylene blue.     

不同形貌ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料的制备及光催化性质

采用直接沉淀法和水热合成法制备出形貌和尺寸比较均一的颗粒状、棒状和球形花状的纳米ZnO。使用硅烷偶联剂KH-42(苯胺甲基三乙氧基硅烷,C₆H₅-NH-CH₂-Si(OCH₃)₃)对所得纳米ZnO进行表面化学修饰,修饰后的纳米ZnO(m-ZnO),经由皮克林乳液聚合法使苯胺单体在其表面聚合,形成聚苯胺(PANI)包覆的氧化锌纳米复合材料(m-ZnO@PANI),采用XRD、SEM、HRTEM、FTIR、UV-Vis、TG等对样品进行表征;研究了m-ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料对亚甲基蓝(MB)的光催化性能。结果表明,复合材料对可见光也有较强的吸收,在紫外、可见光照射下都有较好的光催化降解效率。其中,棒状ZnO纳米复合材料的光催化降解性能最好,它的紫外-可见光和可见光光催化降解率分别达到98.2%和97.1%,而且复合材料的光催化性能稳定,二次循环的紫外-可见光催化降解率仍达到96.0%。     

An effective nanocomposite of polyaniline and ZnO: preparation,characterizations, and its photocatalytic activity

The polyaniline/zinc oxide (PANI/ZnO) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline monomer with ZnO nanomaterials and applied as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The morphological observations elicited the agglomerations of PANI sheets which occurred due to the interaction between PANI and ZnO nanomaterials in PANI/ZnO nanocomposites. As compared to pristine PANI, the UV–vis spectra exhibited that the absorption peak of π–π* transitions considerably shifted to higher wavelength at 360 nm from 325 nm in the nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity results indicated the substantial degradation of MB dye by ~76% over the surface of PANI/ZnO nanocomposite catalyst under light illumination. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposites showed three times higher photocatalytic activity to MB dye degradation compared to pristine PANI might due to high photogenerated electron (ē)–hole (h⁺) pairs charge separation.     

Microwave-assisted solution synthesis and photocatalytic activity of Ag nanoparticles supported on ZnO nanostructure flowers

Ag nanoparticles supported on the surface of three-dimensional (3D) flower-like ZnO nanostructure were synthesized by a microwave-assisted solution method. The obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The analytical results confirmed homogeneously distributed Ag nanoparticles supported on the surface of flower-like ZnO nanostructure. The photocatalytic effect of the heterostructure Ag/ZnO nanocomposites was investigated using photodegradation under ultraviolet (UV) light of methylene blue as model dye. The heterostructure Ag/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO flowers. The improved photocatalytic properties are attributed to formation of a Schottky barrier at the metal–semiconductor interface of the Ag/ZnO nanocomposites.     

A Highly Efficient and Stable Photocatalyst; N-Doped ZnO/CNT Composite Thin Film Synthesized via Simple Sol-Gel Drop Coating Method

The thin film of N-doped ZnO/CNT nanocomposite was successfully fabricated on soda lime glass substrate by a simple sol-gel drop-coating method. The structural, morphological, chemical, and optical properties of as prepared samples were characterized by a variety of tools such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-visible spectroscopy. The hexagonal crystalline structure was confirmed from XRD measurement without any other impurity phase detection in samples. The N-doped ZnO/CNT composite showed excellent photo-catalytic activity towards cationic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation with 100% removal rate under UV light irradiation as compared to N-doped ZnO (65%) and pure ZnO (47.36%). The convincing performance has also been observed for the case of visible light irradiation. The enhancement of that photocatalytic activity might be due to narrowing the band gap as well as the reduction of electron–hole pair recombination in ZnO matrix with the incorporation of dopant nitrogen and CNT. It is assumed from the obtained results that N-doped ZnO/CNT nanocomposite thin film can be employed as an economically achievable and ecofriendly method to degrade dye with UV and visible light irradiation. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied to explore the effect of N-doping on electronic structure of ZnO. The computational study has supported the experimental results of significant band gap contraction, which leads to the maximum absorption towards higher wavelength and no appreciable change of lattice parameters after doping. A conceivable photocatalytic mechanism of N-doped ZnO/CNT nanocomposite has been proposed as well.     

不同形貌ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料的制备及光催化性质

采用直接沉淀法和水热合成法制备出形貌和尺寸比较均一的颗粒状、棒状和球形花状的纳米ZnO。使用硅烷偶联剂KH-42(苯胺甲基三乙氧基硅烷,C6H5-NH-CH2-Si(OCH3)3)对所得纳米ZnO进行表面化学修饰,修饰后的纳米ZnO(m-ZnO),经由皮克林乳液聚合法使苯胺单体在其表面聚合,形成聚苯胺(PANI)包覆的氧化锌纳米复合材料(m-ZnO@PANI),采用XRD、SEM、HRTEM、FTIR、UV-Vis、TG等对样品进行表征;研究了m-ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料对亚甲基蓝(MB)的光催化性能。结果表明,复合材料对可见光也有较强的吸收,在紫外、可见光照射下都有较好的光催化降解效率。其中,棒状ZnO纳米复合材料的光催化降解性能最好,它的紫外-可见光和可见光光催化降解率分别达到98.2%和97.1%,而且复合材料的光催化性能稳定,二次循环的紫外-可见光催化降解率仍达到96.0%。     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles by surface modification with KF using thermal shock method

ZnO nanoparticles were modified with KF using thermal shock method at various temperatures in order to improve the photocatalytic activity of ZnO under both UVA and visible light irradiation. The influences of KF-modification on the crystal structure, morphology, UV–visible absorption, specific surface area as well as surface structure of ZnO were respectively characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, UV–Visible diffuse reflectance, N₂ adsorption and XPS spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue under UVA irradiation. According to the results, the thermal shock process with KF did not modify the structure, the particle size and the optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles but successfully increase their UVA and visible light induced photocatalytic activity. This enhancement of activity may be attributed to the increase of surface hydroxyl groups and zinc vacancies of modified ZnO samples.     

Facile synthesis of ZnO/CuO/Eu heterostructure photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial effluent

Zinc oxide-based ternary heterostructure ZnO/CuO/Eu(1%, 3%, and 5% of Eu) nanoparticles were effectively produced by employing Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)waste skin extract as fuel in a simple one-pot combustion process. The as-synthesized heterostructure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction studies, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Besides, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the as-obtained ternary nanocomposite was evaluated under UV light for the degradation of model organic pollutants including methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine-B (RB), and an effluent sample collected from the textile industrial waste. During this study, the effect of a variety of parameters on the photodegradation activity of the photocatalysts has been thoroughly evaluated, such as light source, catalyst dose, irradiation period, dye concentration, solution pH, etc. Under UV irradiation(100 mins), the ternary ZnO/CuO/Eu photocatalyst demonstrated excellent degradation activity of ～99 and ～93% for MB and RB, respectively, while for the industrial effluent, a decent degradation activity of 42% has been recorded. Further experiments have revealed a pH and concentration-dependent photocatalytic behavior of the heterostructure photocatalyst. Therefore, the results suggest that the heterostructure photocatalyst can be potentially applied for wastewater treatment and other environmental applications.     

Preparation and characterization of zinc oxide nanoflakes using anodization method and their photodegradation activity on methylene blue

In this work, we report the formation of leaf-like ZnO nanoflakes by anodization of zinc foil in a mixture of ammonium sulfate and sodium hydroxide electrolytes under various applied voltage and concentration of sodium hydroxide. The morphology and structure of ZnO nanoflakes were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanoflakes zinc oxide was evaluated in the photodegradation of organic dye methylene blue (MB) solution under UV irradiation. It was found that zinc oxide prepared under high concentration of sodium hydroxide and high voltage showed better performance in the photodegradation of methylene blue.     

PANI/AMTES-TiO2纳米复合材料的制备及其光催化性能

首先用偶联剂苯胺基甲基三乙氧基硅烷(AMTES)对纳米TiO2进行表面修饰(AMTES-TiO2), 然后通过苯胺单体在AMTES-TiO2表面的原位化学氧化接枝聚合, 制备了基于共价键结合的聚苯胺(PANI)/AMTES-TiO2纳米复合光催化材料. 用红外光谱(FTIR), X射线衍射(XRD), 热重分析(TGA), 紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis-DRS)和荧光发射光谱(PL)等技术对复合材料进行了表征. 以亚甲基蓝(MB)为目标降解物, 研究了PANI/AMTES-TiO2复合材料在太阳光和紫外光下的光催化性能. 结果表明:聚苯胺敏化拓宽了TiO2的光谱响应范围, 复合材料在紫外和可见光区都有较强的吸收, 提高了光能的利用率和光生载流子的分离效率, 使复合材料表现出较高的光催化活性; 苯胺与AMTES-TiO2的质量比(w)对复合材料的光催化活性有较大影响, 当w为0.025时, 复合材料在两种光源下的催化性能均优于TiO2和AMTES-TiO2.     

Facile fabrication of ZnO/N‐doped helical carbon nanotubes composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity toward organic pollutant degradation

Novel ZnO/N‐doped helical carbon nanotubes (ZnO/N‐HCNTs) composites were successfully synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation approach at room temperature. The sample was well characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. It is found that ZnO nanoparticles were highly and uniformly anchored on the surface and inner tubes of the N‐HCNTs with size of about 5 nm, and significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity compared to pure ZnO. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO/N‐HCNTs composites can be ascribed to the integrative synergistic effect of effective interfacial hybridization between N‐HCNTs and ZnO nanoparticles and the prolonged lifetime of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the ZnO/N‐HCNTs could be easily recycled without any obvious decrease in photocatalytic activity and could be promote their application in the area of environmental remediation.     

Electrical,optical and photocatalytic properties of Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO and Ti-loaded ZnO nanospheres

Ti-loaded ZnO and Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO nanoparticles have been synthesized by sol–gel method and analyzed for photocatalyst application. The phase confirmation was analyzed by powder XRD and surface morphology with HR-SEM and EDAX spectrum. The particle size measured using HR-TEM and SAED pattern confirms the crystalline nature of Ti-loaded ZnO and Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO nanoparticles. The optical properties were studied with UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectra. The DRS of Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO nanoparticles are similar to those of pristine ZnO nanoparticles. The KM plots show both the synthesized Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO and Ti-loaded ZnO exhibit in UV-A region. The electric properties are studied with impedance analyzer, and the results show the charge-transfer resistance of Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO is larger than that of Ti-loaded ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity was studied with methylene blue dye and phenol degradation by Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO, Ti-loaded ZnO, TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of Ti-loaded ZnO/ZnO nanospheres is slightly higher than that of other nanoparticles, which shows that they have excellent application as photocatalyst.     

Band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO composites for enhanced photocatalytic activity

The toxic dye pigments, even in small quantities, can damage ecosystems. Removing organic, inorganic, and microbiological contaminants from wastewater via heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method. Herein, we report the band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO nanocomposites to enhance photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites were synthesized by a chemical approach using step-wise implantation of p-type semiconductor CuO to n-type semiconductor ZnO. Various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV spectroscopy were used to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the synthesized samples. As the CuO content increased from 10% to 50% in ZnO/CuO nanocomposites, the optical bandgap decreased from 3.36 to 2.14 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated against the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible irradiation. Our study demonstrates a novel p–n junction oxide photocatalyst based on wt. 10% CuO/ZnO with superior photocatalytic activity. Effectively 66.6% increase in degradation rate was achieved for wt. 10% CuO/ZnO nanocomposite compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles.     

Green biosynthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Corymbia citriodora leaf extract and their photocatalytic activity

ABSTRACT

We reported a green and simple method for biosynthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Corymbia citriodora leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. SEM, EDX, XRD, UV–VIS spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and TGA have been used for characterizing the biosynthesized ZnO NPs. The results indicating the ZnO NPs synthesized by C. citriodora leaf extract have high purity and the average size is 64?nm. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO NPs has been investigated by degradation methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Due to the smaller size, the biosynthesized ZnO NPs showed an excellent photocatalytic performance.     

ZnO Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Application in Alkali-Activated Materials

This paper reports an Alkali-Activated Materials (AAM) using two different precursors, metakaolin and a metallurgical slag with photocatalytic zinc oxide nanoparticles, as novel photocatalytic composites. The photodegradation performance of the composites using methylene blue (MB) dye as a wastewater model was investigated by ultraviolet radiations (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Adsorption in dark conditions and photodegradation under UV irradiation are the mechanisms for removing MB dye. The pseudo-first-order kinetic and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were employed, and the experimental data agreed with the pseudo-second-order model in both cases with UV and without UV irradiations. As new photocatalytic materials, these composites offer an alternative for environmental applications.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel poly(1-naphthylamine)/zinc oxide nanocomposites: Application in catalytic degradation of methylene blue dye

The organic–inorganic poly(1-naphthylamine)/ZnO (PNA/ZnO) nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of 1-naphthylamine monomer and ZnO nanomaterials for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light. The surface properties of PNA molecules were altered by adding the ZnO nanomaterials. The crystalline and the optical properties of PNA/ZnO nanocomposites were improved with the increased contents of ZnO nanomaterials in PNA molecules due to the effective interaction of PNA to the surface of ZnO nanomaterials. The prepared PNA/ZnO nanocomposites presented moderate photocatalytic MB dye degradation of ~22% under visible light. The occurrence of dye degradation under visible light might attribute to high-charge separation of ē-h⁺ pairs at the interfaces of PNA and ZnO nanomaterials in its excited state under light irradiation.     

ZnO纳米柱状阵列表面AgX等离子基元修饰及其可见光光催化活性

采用浸渍法制备了表面AgX（X=I,Br）等离子基元修饰的ZnO纳米柱状阵列,研究了浸渍浓度和时间以及紫外光光照预处理对ZnO纳米柱状阵列可见光光催化活性的影响.采用场发射扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射仪、紫外可见漫反射吸收光谱以及X射线光电子能谱仪等手段对ZnO纳米柱状阵列的形貌、相组成、禁带宽度及其表面特性进行了表征.结果显示,AgBr颗粒分布于ZnO纳米柱状阵列的顶端及顶端侧面,同时AgBr颗粒之间相互接触而形成网状结构.通过紫外光光照预处理,AgBr表面出现细小颗粒,形成Ag/AgBr/ZnO纳米复合结构.可见光光催化降解甲基橙结果表明,在相同工艺条件下所制AgBr/ZnO的可见光光催化活性明显优于AgI/ZnO,且与浸渍浓度及时间有关.由于ZnO纳米柱状阵列的比表面积大,AgBr的可见光响应特性以及Ag/AgBr纳米结构的表面等离子效应,经过紫外光光照预处理形成的Ag/AgBr/ZnO纳米复合结构表现出最好的可见光光催化活性.     

Magnetic ZnO Crystal Nanoparticle Growth on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance under Visible Light Irradiation

Magnetite zinc oxide (MZ) (Fe₃O₄/ZnO) with different ratios of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was synthesized using the solid-state method. The structural and optical properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis/DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectrophotometry. In particular, the analyses show higher photocatalytic movement for crystalline nanocomposite (MZG) than MZ and ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) with crystalline ZnO for 1.5 h under visible light was 12%. By contrast, the photocatalytic activity for MZG was more than 98.5%. The superior photocatalytic activity of the crystalline nanocomposite was detected to be due to the synergistic effect between magnetite and zinc oxide in the presence of reduced graphene oxide. Moreover, the fabricated nanocomposite had high electron–hole stability. The crystalline nanocomposite was stable when the material was used several times.     

ZnO/Boron Nitride Quantum Dots Nanocomposites for the Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange

In this study, a heterostructure photocatalyst of ZnO nanoparticles decorated with boron nitride quantum dots (ZnO/BNQDs) was successfully synthesized by a simple solution procedure. The synthesized ZnO/BNQDs show that the BNQDs effectively suppress the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes and the transfer of holes from ZnO nanoparticles by the formation of a heterojunction. The ZnO/BNQD nanocomposites thus demonstrate superior photocatalytic performances and excellent stability for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under UV light irradiation. Based on the obtained results, the possible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed and discussed. Thus, the ZnO/BNQD nanocomposites demonstrate potential as an efficient low-cost photocatalyst for application in the photodegradation of organic dyes in wastewater for environmental remediation.     

Structural,optical and photocatalytic activity of cerium doped zinc aluminate

Zinc aluminate and cerium-doped zinc aluminate nanoparticles are synthesised by co-precipitation method. Ammonium hydroxide is used as a precipitating agent. The synthesised compounds are characterised by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Surface area measurements. The photocatalytic activity of zinc aluminate and cerium doped zinc aluminate nanoparticles are studied under the UV light and visible light taking methylene blue as a model pollutant. The amount of catalyst, concentration of dye solution and time are optimised under UV-light. Degradation of methylene blue under the UV-light is found to be 99% in 20 min with 10 mg of cerium doped catalyst. Compared to visible light degradation, the degradation of dye under UV-light is higher. Cerium doping in zinc aluminate (ZnAl₂O₄:Ce³⁺) increased the photocatalytic activity of zinc aluminate.