Abstract
Nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) photocatalyst has been synthesized by a simple solution combustion method using zinc nitrate as the oxidizer and urea as the fuel. Effect of fuel to oxidizer ratio and ignition temperature on the mechanism of combustion synthesis, crystallinity, morphology, surface area, and optical properties were investigated by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Diffuse reflectance UV–Visible spectra and Photoluminescence analyses. Photocatalytic activity of the synthesized materials was evaluated by degrading an azo dye at ambient temperature and solution pH. The prepared photocatalysts at the fuel-rich condition possess small crystallite size and more surface area; consequently, a higher photocatalytic dye degradation capability.The powder samples synthesized at the fuel-oxidant ratio of 1.8 and the ignition temperature at 400 °C have shown the maximum percentage (99%) of dye degradation in 180 min. The pseudo-first order photocatalytic dye degradation rate constant of a catalyst sample synthesized at the fuel-oxidant ratio of 1.8 was 0.0253 min−1and it is 3.14 and 2.88 times higher than that of samples synthesized at fuel-oxidant ratios of 0.6 and 1.The outcomes of the present article help to design more pronounced experiments for the synthesis of photocatalysts by varying ignition temperatures and fuel amounts.
Published Version
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