Journal
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
Volume 139, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2021.111247
Keywords
ZnO/NiC(r)2O(4); p-n heterojunction; Visible light; Nanocomposite photocatalyst; Tetracycline; Phenol
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The study successfully synthesized a novel visible-light-responsive ZnO/NiCr2O4 nanocomposite via a hydrothermal procedure. The nanocomposite exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance for tetracycline and phenol compared to ZnO and NiCr2O4, attributed to improved visible light absorption and the construction of a p-n heterojunction. The study also identified the predominant active species in the photocatalytic reactions and proposed a possible mechanism based on detailed examination of various characterization techniques.
Combining semiconductors is considered a rational strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of conventional photocatalysts. In this work, a novel visible-light-responsive ZnO/NiCr2O4 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal procedure. The characterization of products was conducted by different techniques to study optical, structural, and morphological properties. The ZnO/NiCr2O4 nanocomposite performance for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (98 %) and phenol (81.4 %) considerably exhibits 4.2 and 1.9 enhancement over ZnO and NiCr2O4, respectively. The ZnO/NiCr2O4 nanocomposite's excellent photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the enhanced visible light absorption and construction of p-n heterojunction, resulting in an effective photogeneration, separation, and transfer of electron-hole pairs into the active sites on photocatalysts. Trapping experiments disclosed that the predominant active species in photocatalytic reactions were (OH)-O-center dot and hole. The data obtained from the results of EIS, M-S test, PL, and trapping experiments were examined in detail, and based on that, a possible mechanism was proposed. Moreover, the ZnO/NiCr2O4 nanocomposite's durability and reusability were studied by performing 4 consecutive runs. It is hoped that this work will provide insights for researchers in the design, preparation, and use of new and efficient nanocomposites in various photocatalytic processes.
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