Recyclable Fe3O4/ZnO/PPy composite photocatalyst: Fabrication and photocatalytic activity

In this work, a magnetically separable polypyrrole (PPy) modified Fe₃O₄/ZnO composite photo-catalyst was synthesized and its photocatalytic activity was tested. The as-prepared Fe₃O₄/ZnO/PPy nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Furthermore, three different photocatalysts including the Fe₃O₄/ZnO/PPy composite were tested using methyl orange (MO) degradation reaction under UV light irradiation. The relative results demonstrated that the Fe₃O₄/ZnO/PPy composite has the highest photochemical activity after 4 h photocatalytic experiment. It can be easily separated using an external magnetic field. This kind of composite photocatalysts with easiness of separation can have potential applications in the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants.     

Effect of nitrogen ion irradiation treatment to the enhancement of ZnO photocatalytic performance

To overcome the drawbacks of fast charge recombination and the limited visible-light absorption of semiconductor photocatalysts, N ion irradiation is used to enhance photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanowires. Compared with as-grown ZnO nanowires, the photocatalytic performance of ZnO under dose of 5 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻² was efficiently improved because of the bandgap energy decreasing and the introduction of oxygen vacancies defects. On one hand, the reduced bandgap energy improves the easy transfer process of electrons and holes, thus improving the charge separation efficiency, and visible-light absorption. On the other hand, N ion irradiation increases oxygen vacancy defects and hinders the recombination of photo-excited electrons and holes. This study has certificated that ion irradiation is an efficient way and created a new insight on the enhancement of photocatalytic activity.     

Effect of charge balance vacancies on the ultraviolet photocatalytic activity of Fe3+-doped anatase

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ZnO nanoparticles photocatalytic activity toward atmospheric toluene under simulated sunlight

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of toluene through zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles coated on glass plates was examined under simulated sunlight....     

Self-assembled 3D flowerlike hierarchical Fe3O4@Bi2O3 core-shell architectures and their enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

Three‐dimensional (3D) flowerlike hierarchical Fe₃O₄@Bi₂O₃ core–shell architectures were synthesized by a simple and direct solvothermal route without any linker shell. The results indicated that the size of the 3D flowerlike hierarchical microspheres was about 420 nm and the shell was composed of several nanosheets with a thickness of 4–10 nm and a width of 100–140 nm. The saturation magnetization of the superparamagnetic composite microspheres was about 41 emu g^?1 at room temperature. Moreover, the Fe₃O₄@Bi₂O₃ composite microspheres showed much higher (7–10 times) photocatalytic activity than commercial Bi₂O₃ particles under visible‐light irradiation. The possible formation mechanism was proposed for Ostwald ripening and the self‐assembled process. This novel composite material may have potential applications in water treatment, degradation of dye pollutants, and environmental cleaning, for example.     

Preparation of Mn-doped ZnO nanostructured for photocatalytic degradation of Orange G under solar light

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this study, undoped ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO nanostructured with different doping concentrations were prepared through a facile chemical method. Then, X-ray...     

Effect of Sb5+ codopant ions on the ultraviolet photocatalytic activity of Fe3+-modified anatase

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The improvement of solar photocatalytic activity of ZnO by doping with Er3+:Y3Al5O12 during dye degradation

The Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂, an upconversion luminescence agent, which is able to transform the visible light to ultraviolet light, was synthesized by nitrate-citric acid method. And then, a novel photocatalyst, Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO composites, was prepared by ultrasonic dispersing and liquid boil method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the structural morphology and surface properties of the Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO. Azo Fuchsine dye was selected as target organic pollutant to inspect the photocatalytic activity of Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO. The key parameters affecting the photocatalytic activity of Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO, such as Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ content, heat-treatment temperature and heat-treatment time, were studied. In addition, the effects of dye initial concentration, Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO amount and solar light irradiation time were also reviewed, as well as the photocatalytic activity in degradation of other organic dyes were compared. It was found that the photocatalytic activity of Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO was much superior to pure ZnO under the same conditions. Thus, the Er³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂/ZnO is a useful photocatalyst for the wastewater treatment because it can efficiently utilize solar light by converting visible light into ultraviolet light.     

Synthesis of Ag2O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS2 composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity under solar light irradiation

Three-dimensional Ag₂O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS₂ composites have been synthesized through a facile hydrothermal and photoreduction process. The physical and chemical properties of Ag₂O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS₂ composites were carefully studied by using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and XPS. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared products was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine B (Rh B) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under solar light irradiation. The photocatalytic result shows that Ag₂O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS₂ composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with that of pure SnS₂. Three of the Ag₂O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS₂ composites form the Z-scheme systems, because of their unique charge-carrier transfer process, the oxidation/reduction ability of photogenerated holes and electrons could be enhanced. Therefore, the new Ag₂O and Ag co-modified flower-like SnS₂ composites possess a favorable photocatalytic activity, and it can be a promising candidate for the solar energy conversion process.     

ZnO nanopowders and their excellent solar light/UV photocatalytic activity on degradation of dye in wastewater

Low-cost and scalable preparation,high photocatalytic activity,and convenient recycle of Zn O nanopowders(NPs)would determine their practical application in purifying wastewater.In this contribution,ZnO NPs were scalably synthesized via the simple reaction of Zn powder with H_2O vapor in autoclave.The structural,morphological and optical properties of the samples were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectra,transmission electron microscopy,Micro-Raman,photoluminescence,and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.The as-prepared Zn O NPs are composed of nanoparticles with 100–150 nm in diameter,and have a small Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 6.85 m~2/g.The formation of Zn O nanoparticles is relative to the peeling of H_2 release.Furthermore,the product has big strain-stress leading to the red-shift in the band gap of product,and shows a strong green emission centered at 515 nm revealing enough atomic defects in Zn O NPs.As a comparison with P25,the obtained dust gray Zn O NPs have a strong absorbance in the region of 200–700 nm,suggesting the wide wave-band utilization in sunlight.Based on the traits above,the Zn O NPs show excellent photocatalytic activity on the degradation of rhodamine B(Rh-B)under solar light irradiation,close to that under UV irradiation.Importantly,the Zn O NPs could be well recycled in water due to the quick sedimentation in themselves in solution.The low-cost and scalable preparation,high photocatalytic activity,and convenient recycle of Zn O NPs endow themselves with promising application in purifying wastewater.     

The influence of the ethanol-water molar ratio in the precursor solution on morphology and photocatalytic activity of pyrolytic ZnO films

Zinc oxide films were fabricated by a homemade spray pyrolysis system equipped with an optical setup ensuring the in situ control of the film growth. Zinc acetate (0.1 M) diluted in a mixture of ethanol and water was used as the precursor solution. The ethanol-water molar ratio, gamma, in the precursor solution was varied from 0 to 0.92. The deposition temperature and the pH of the precursor solution were kept at 350 degrees C and 4.5, respectively. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that films were zincitelike with a grain size depending on the ethanol-water molar ratio in the precursor solution. The interference pattern obtained during film deposition was used to monitor the film roughness; it was found that this is related with those results of surfaces and optical analysis obtained by scanning electron microscopy and spectrophotometric measurements, respectively. The morphology of the ZnO films obtained from gamma equal to either 0 or 0.92 are dense with agglomerates uniformly distributed, whereas the films obtained from gamma equal to either 0.03 or 0.06 are very rough with irregular agglomerates. The films obtained from gamma equal to 0.12, 0.18 and 0.31 are rough. Photoelectrocatalytic results indicated that there is a correlation of the partial molar volume of ethanol with respect to water in the spraying solution, with the photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO films. We found that the maximum photodegradation of methyl orange in the solution occurs using ZnO films obtained with gamma = 0.12.     

Fabrication of 3D rotor-like ZnO nanostructure from 1D ZnO nanorods and their morphology dependent photoluminescence property

A facile and eco-friendly sonochemical route to fabricate well-defined dentritic (rotor-like) ZnO nanostructures from 1D ZnO nanorods without alloying elements, templates and surfactants has been reported. Phase and structural analysis has been carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, showed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study showed the formation of rotor-like ZnO nanostructure having a central core which is surrounded by side branches nanocones. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) study showed that these nanocones grow along [0001] direction on the six {01–10} planes of central core ZnO nanorods. A plausible formation mechanism of rotor-like ZnO nanostructures was studied by SEM which indicates that the size and morphology of side branches can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of OH^? ions and time duration of growth. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the synthesized rotor-like ZnO nanostructures exhibited a weak ultraviolet emission at 400 nm and a strong green emission at 532 nm recorded at room temperature. The influence of morphology on the origin of green emission was discussed in detail. The results suggested a positive relationship among polar plane, oxygen vacancy and green emission.     

Preparation, characterization of the Ta-doped ZnO nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activity under visible-light illumination

This paper describes a novel catalyst of the Ta-doped ZnO nanocrystals prepared by a modified polymerizable complex method using the water-soluble tantalum precursor as the sources of Ta. The catalysts were characterized by means of various analytical techniques as a function of Ta content (x=0–4 mol%) systematically. A remarkable advantage of the results was confirmed that dopant Ta enhanced the visible-light absorption of ZnO and the low-solubility tantalum doping could restrain the growth of crystal and minish the particle size. The relationship between the physicochemical property and the photocatalytic performance was discussed, and it was found that the photocatalytic activity in the photochemical degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation (λ420 nm) was dependent on the contents of the dopant, which could affect the particle size, concentration of surface hydroxyl groups and active hydrogen-related defect sites, and the visible-light absorption. The highest photocatalytic activity was obtained for the 1.0 mol% Ta-doped ZnO sample.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of SiC modified by BiVO4 under visible light irradiation

SiC-BiVO₄-P and SiC-BiVO₄-H composites have been prepared by precipitation method and hydrothermal method, respectively. Rod-like BiVO₄ particles dispersed on the surface of micro-sized SiC particles homogeneously in SiC-BiVO₄-H. Due to the formed heterostructure between BiVO₄ and SiC, photo-generated electrons and holes were effectively separated. Under visible light irradiation, SiC-BiVO₄-H exhibited the best performance for photocatalytic oxidation of Rhodamine B, achieved about 7.5 times improvement in photocatalytic degradation rate constants compared with that of the pristine SiC powder. The possible photocatalysis mechanism of SiC/BiVO₄ related to the band positions of the semiconductors under visible light irradiation was also discussed in detail. In addition, the radicals trapping experiments revealed that all three radicals (holes, OH, and O₂^?) play an important role in the Rhodamine B degradation.     

Flower-like Bi2WO6/ZnO composite with excellent photocatalytic capability under visible light irradiation

The photocatalytic ability of ZnO is improved through the addition of flower-like Bi₂WO₆ to prepare a Bi₂WO₆/ZnO composite with visible light activity. The composite is characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. After modification, the band gap energy of Bi₂WO₆/ZnO is reduced from 3.2 eV for ZnO to 2.6 eV. Under visible light irradiation, the Bi₂WO₆/ZnO composite shows an excellent photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline. The photo-degradation efficiencies of (0.3:1) Bi₂WO₆/ZnO for MB and tetracycline are approximately 246 and 4500 times higher than those of bare ZnO, respectively, and correspondingly, the photo-degradation rates for the two pollutants are approximately 120 and 200 times higher than those with bare ZnO, respectively. Moreover, the photocatalyst of (0.3:1) Bi₂WO₆/ZnO exhibits a higher transient photocurrent density of approximately 4.5 μA compared with those of bare Bi₂WO₆ and ZnO nanoparticles. The successful recombination of Bi₂WO₆ and ZnO enhances the photocatalytic activity and reduces the band gap energy of ZnO, which can be attributed to the effective separation of electron–hole pairs. Active species trapping experiments display that [O₂]^? is the major species involved during photocatalysis rather than ?OH and h⁺. This study provides insight into designing a meaningful visible-light-driven photocatalyst for environmental remediation.     

Fe_3O_4@TiO_2光催化剂的制备及其性能研究

采用溶剂热法制备了Fe3O4磁性纳米颗粒,通过溶胶-凝胶法在Fe3O4表面包覆一层Ti O2,并对其进行水热处理,制备了核壳结构光催化剂Fe3O4@Ti O2。利用透射电镜(TEM)分析了其形貌、并用X射线衍射(XRD)分析了其物相组成,利用紫外-可见光谱(UV-Vis)研究了其光谱特征,以罗丹明B(RB)模型污染物,在紫外光照射下评价了纳米Fe3O4@Ti O2的光催化活性,探讨了其重复使用的可能性。结果表明:Ti O2均匀包覆在Fe3O4表面,形成核壳结构,Ti O2转变为锐钛矿型;光催化结果显示Fe3O4@Ti O2在60 min内对RB降解率为97.2%,该材料结合了光催化与可再生的优点,5次循环使用后降解率仍保持在92.3%。     

Fe2O3/ZnO/ZnFe2O4 composites for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light

In this study, novel ternary Fe₂O₃/ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ (ZFO) composites were successfully prepared through a simple hydrothermal reaction with subsequent thermal treatment. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) measurement, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light irradiation indicated that the ZFO composites calcined at 500 °C has the best photocatalytic activity (the photocatalytic degradation efficiency can reach up to 95.7% within 60 min) and can maintain a stable photocatalytic degradation efficiency for at least three cycles. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of ZFO composites toward dye decomposition follows the order cationic Rh B > anionic methyl orange. Finally, using different scavengers, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were identified as the primary active species during the degradation reaction of Rh B.     

焙烧温度对氧化锌纳米棒光催化生产H2O2活性的影响

过氧化氢作为一种对环境友好的、重要的化学原料,被广泛用于化学工业、漂白剂和废水处理等领域.近几十年来,过氧化氢主要通过蒽醌工艺生产.然而,该方法需要多步蒽醌加氢和氧化反应,导致较高的生产成本和能量消耗,同时伴随着大量的二氧化碳排放.另一种替代策略是在贵金属催化剂的辅助下,由氢气和氧气的混合气体在高温下直接合成.但是,氢气和氧气的混合气体在高温下存在爆炸的危险,从而限制了其大规模应用.因此,探索一种低能耗、温和条件下生产过氧化氢具有重要的意义.太阳能驱动光催化生产过氧化氢是解决上述问题的理想途径.通常认为,过氧化氢是由直接双电子还原(E(O2/H2O2)=0.68 V vs.NHE)或间接单电子O2还原(E(O2/?O2?)=-0.33 V vs.NHE)产生的.氧化锌半导体具有很的稳定性好、环保和成本低等优点,因此经常被用于二氧化碳的光催化还原、污水处理和气体传感器等领域.氧化锌的导带电势(ECB=-0.5 V vs.NHE)比氧还原电势更负,意味着它在热力学上满足光催化过氧化氢生产的要求.然而,目前关于氧化锌的光催化生产过氧化氢的研究尚未受到较多的关注.本文采用简单的水热法制备了一维氧化锌纳米棒,在不同温度下热处理后,对其形貌和结构、光学性质和电化学性质进行了表征.同时,系统地研究了以乙醇为牺牲剂光催化生产过氧化氢的性能.结果表明,随着焙烧温度的升高,氧化锌纳米棒内部的氧空位被空气中的氧气重新填充,其催化生成过氧化氢的活性先升高后降低.经300oC焙烧的氧化锌光催化产过氧化氢的活性最好,为285μmol L-1 h-1.同时,对过氧化氢的生成机理研究结果表明,该过程中为间接单电子O2还原过程.氧气先与一个电子反应生成超氧自由基,再与两个质子和一个电子反应生成过氧化氢分子.综上,本文为氧化锌纳米棒光催化产过氧化氢的机理研究提供了新认识,并提出了一种有前途的过氧化氢生产策略.