Electrophoretic deposition of PbMoO4 nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

In the present work, we report the electrophoretic deposition of lead molybdate nanoparticles which were synthesized by an ultrasonic-assisted method using Pb(NO3)(2) and H2MoO4 as precursors. The PbMoO4 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption as well as SEM and TEM microscopies. Subsequently, the as-prepared nanoparticles were dispersed in isopropyl alcohol and deposited after 15-45 min under 8, 10, 12 and 14 Von commercial aluminum plates. The results show that the electrophoretic deposition of the PbMoO4 follows a growth like the Volmer-Weber theory, which involves the formation of 3-D islands of particles and its later growth and coalescence. As consequence, the coatings present some cavities and therefore an increase of the surface area, which is important for photocatalytic applications. Finally, the prepared coatings were tested for the photocatalytic degradation of the tetracycline antibiotic under simulated solar irradiation, reaching a 55% of efficiency and a good stability after 4 consecutive degradation cycles.