Nano-sized Fe-metal catalyst on ZnO-SiO2: (photo-assisted deposition and impregnation) Synthesis routes and nanostructure characterization

A nano-sized Fe metal on ZnO-SiO2 was synthesized using the photo-assisted deposition (PAD) and impregnation routes. The obtained samples were characterized by a series of techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Photocatalytic reactivity using Fe-ZnO-SiO2 catalysts under visible-light condition on the degradation of methylene blue dye was evaluated. The results of characterization reveal, a notable photocatalytic activity of PAD:Fe-ZnO-SiO2 which was about 9 and 12 times higher than that of Img:Fe-ZnO-SiO2 and ZnO-SiO2, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.