Effect of surfactant SDS on the morphology and photocatalytic performance of Zn2GeO4 nanorods

Abstract

The continuous discharge of organic dye effluents from textile industries causes severe global water pollution. A sustainable and effective route needs to be developed for the treatment of textile effluent in order to enable environmental protection and water recycling. In particular, the nanomaterials-based photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds is a promising approach to minimize water pollution. Herein, a facile hydrothermal method was reported for the preparation of Zn2GeO4 nanorods (NDs) with unique size, shape, and surface chemistry using sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) as the surfactant. The crystal structure, size, and shape of the synthesized NDs were characterized by x-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Initially, the XRD pattern revealed that SDS plays a crucial role in the formation of highly pure Zn2GeO4 NDs with rhombohedral crystalline nature. It was clearly noticed that increasing SDS concentration results in the formation of Zn2GeO4 NDs with decreased size ranges (100 nm). Conversely, the size of Zn2GeO4 NDs increased at higher SDS concentrations. The photocatalytic activity of Zn2GeO4 NDs was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution. Under light irradiation, the Zn2GeO4 NDs prepared by using different concentrations of SDS exhibited varied photocatalytic performance. Among the tested samples, Zn2GeO4 NDs prepared with 0.1 g of SDS showed the best photocatalytic activity with a MO decomposition rate of 94.6% within 60 min. This study suggests that SDS can be used to modulate the morphology and photocatalytic performance of Zn2GeO4 NDs, and the resultant Zn2GeO4 NDs can serve as a photocatalyst in wastewater treatment.