Highly efficient (V2O5)0.91Zn0.09 powdered catalyst for water organic pollutant elimination

Abstract

(V2O5)1-x Znx powdered samples with different light doping levels (x = 0.03–0.09) were prepared by a solid-state thermal reaction and studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy dispersive analysis (EDAX), and optical diffuse reflectance spectroscopies. The prepared samples has been revealed that the increments in Zn-doping levels accompanied by vacuum heat treatment lead to the appearance of an additional V12O26 phase beside the pure V2O5 oxide, resulting not only in more donor vanadium atom liberation but also in multi-heterojunction component formation. Besides, Eg values decrease from 2.38 to 2.2 eV as Zn doping increases from x = 0 to x = 0.09. All previous observations improve the process of purifying water from pollutants by increasing the number of free carriers of V2O5 powder by adding Zn atoms and making vacuum heat treatments. The photocatalytic examination has been carried out using constants of 0.5 g and 0.01 g/L (10 ppm) of the catalyst quantity and MB-dye concentration, respectively, under Vis – irradiations. The acidic solution medium with a pH of 2 strongly motivated the degradation activity. The highest catalytic efficiency of 99.78% was attained by the (V2O5)0.91 Zn 0.09 compound within a time of 70 min and continued invariably for 5 hours in the dark. These catalytic results have proved the possibility of their reusability.