Abstract
Abstract Silica-doped tetragonal mesoporous zirconia nanoparticles, SiO2/ZrO2 (SZ), were successfully prepared by a simple microwave-assisted method, and the subsequent incorporation of copper (1–10 wt%) via an electrochemical method gave CuO/SiO2/ZrO2 (CSZ) catalysts. The SiO2 stabilized the ZrO2 completely in the tetragonal phase, but that the added copper occupied oxygen vacancies in the SZ lattice to perturb the catalysts and partially reintroduce the monoclinic phase. However, CuO enhanced the photoactivity of CSZ catalysts by lowering the band gap energy (from 4.35 eV to 2.70 eV) and acting as an electron trapper to suppress the recombination of electron–hole pairs. The activity of the catalysts in the photodegradation of bisphenol A was ranked in the following order: 5 CSZ (82%) > 1 CSZ (65%) > 10 CSZ (60%) > SZ (58%). The silica–copper–zirconia cooperative interactions affected the numbers of oxygen vacancies, defect sites, Zr–O–Si and Zr–O–Cu bonds, which consequently influenced the stabilization of ZrO2 as well as the photoactivity of each catalyst. A kinetic study demonstrated that the photodegradation followed the pseudo-first-order Langmuir–Hinshelwood model.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
