Enhancing piezocatalytic dye degradation through ball milling-induced polarization in nano bismuth zinc borate

Abstract

The present investigation explores the impact of particle size on the piezocatalytic properties of Bismuth Zinc Borate (Bi2ZnB2O7, BBZO). A systematic investigation was conducted on the degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl violet (MV), and rhodamine B (RB) dyes using piezocatalysis. The synthesis of BBZO was carried out through the conventional solid-state reaction method, followed by particle size reduction using ball milling. The ceramic powder that was acquired through ball milling is denoted as BBZO-BM. Subsequently, an examination of the structural and phase identifications of the two prepared powders was conducted through the utilization of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The investigation of morphology and elemental composition was conducted through the utilization of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The particle size disparity between the samples was analyzed and computed utilizing Image J software. The results indicate that BBZO powder has an approx. average particle size of 5 μm, while BBZO-BM powder has an approx. average particle size of 470 nm. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) was utilized to assess the elemental state of all elements present in the prepared samples. The degradation experiments were conducted utilizing MB dye. The results of the study indicate that BBZO particles with larger sizes exhibit reduced involvement in the piezocatalytic experiment. In the conducted experiment, it was observed that the degradation of dye reached a level of 16 % within a time frame of 180 min. Conversely, the BBZO-BM, which possessed a smaller particle size, exhibited a degradation level of 60 % within the same experimental duration. It is a widely recognized fact that an increase in surface area is positively correlated with enhanced piezocatalytic activity. The disparity observed in the study provides valuable understanding regarding the efficacy of piezocatalysis in utilizing prepared composition for the treatment of wastewater.