Abstracto

Photocatalytic Removal of Rhodamine B by Facilely Synthesized N or B doped ZnO

Ali Can GULER

Synthetic dyes are extensively used in textile dyeing, paper printing and other industries. Unrestrainedly release of wastewater to the nature either during fabrication or utilization can cause the generation of cancerogenic compounds and destroy the environment. Since the pioneering work of Fujishima (1972), advanced oxidation techniques have received intensive attention for wastewater treatment. These oxidation reactions occur faster in the presence of oxidant agents (hydrogen peroxide and ozone) or semiconductor photocatalysts. The advantages of light-induced photodegradation over conventional water treatment techniques are practicability of solar energy, being low-cost, and nature friendly. The chemically very stable and nontoxic zinc oxide (ZnO) was chosen as photocatalyst, but its unique limitations such as wide band gap must be adapted to further exploit the safe and clean energy source. Nitrogen (N) and boron (B) elements were doped to enhance electrical, optical, in turn photocatalytic properties of ZnO. There are quite few investigations on non-metal doped ZnO. The pristine and different rates of B or N doped ZnO powder samples were synthesized by mechanochemical technique that is rapid, economical and appropriable to industry. Catalyst fabrication process consists of two steps. Firstly, precursors are grinded and reacted in solid phase. Secondly, pastry products are calcined at different temperatures. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of the samples was first time tested on the degradation of Rhodamine B (RB) as a test contaminant under Xenon lamp, which sufficiently simulate the sun emission. Among the photocatalysts, N doped ZnO was the most efficient on the decomposition of RB dye.