Mesoporous zirconia- supported PdO nanoparticles with promoted their photocatalytic ability for desulfurization of thiophene

Herein, PdO nanoparticles (NPs) incorporating mesoporous ZrO2 to create heterojunction PdO/ZrO2 nanocomposites were constructed during a facile sol-gel process. The obtained mesoporous ZrO2 is a monoclinic phase with a large surface area of -240 m2/g. The desulfurization efficiency over 1.5% PdO/ZrO2 photocatalyst was 100% within 90 min, and it was promoted 3.65 times larger than bare ZrO2 NPs (27.4 %) after 90 min. The reaction rate constant of 1.5% PdO/ZrO2 nanocomposite was 0.0185 min-1, which was increased 4.1 times larger than ZrO2 NPs. The synthesized PdO/ZrO2 photocatalysts exhibited remarkably superior photocatalytic thiophene oxidation with high reusability than bare ZrO2. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of PdO/ZrO2 photocatalyst was mainly attributed to the mesostructured ZrO2 providing a considerable active sites and improving the light absorption. The construction of the S-scheme heterojunction PdO/ZrO2 accelerated the mobility and separation of photoinduced carriers, promoting the desulfurization of thiophene. The 1.5% PdO/ ZrO2 photocatalyst exhibited a high recyclability after five consecutive times. This work provides the structural advantages and synergistic effect of PdO/ZrO2 to be a stable and efficient photocatalyst, which opens a window for building photocatalysts for environmental wastewater treatments.

Automated summary

In this study, PdO/ZrO2 nanocomposites incorporating mesoporous ZrO2 were successfully synthesized through a sol-gel process. The obtained mesoporous ZrO2 exhibited a large surface area and the desulfurization efficiency of 1.5% PdO/ZrO2 photocatalyst was significantly higher than that of bare ZrO2 NPs. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of PdO/ZrO2 can be attributed to the mesostructured ZrO2 providing active sites and improving light absorption, as well as the accelerated mobility and separation of photoinduced carriers in the S-scheme heterojunction.