Incorporation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in RHA-MTW Zeolite and its Application for Degradation of Dye

Abstract

White rice husk ash (RHA), an agricultural waste, was used as a silica source forMTW zeolite synthesis. The RHA-MTW zeolite derived from RHA was preparedby hydrothermal method at 150 °C in the presence of tetraethylammoniumhydroxide. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were grown in zeolite substrates using asolid state reaction. The synthesized nanocomposite (NC) was characterized byXRD, SEM, DRS and TEM and tested as photocatalytic degradation of methyleneblue (MB) dye from aqueous solution under ultraviolet (UV) light. The BET resultsindicated that pore volume and surface area of ZnO/RHA-MTW NC was smallerthan RHA-MTW zeolite. On the basis of the obtained experimental results, it wasfound that zinc oxide NPs were encapsulated into the channels of RHA-MTWzeolite. The SEM and TEM images of ZnO/RHA-MTW NC confirmed the formationof RHA-MTW particles with size diameter of 2.5 μm and locating of zinc oxideNPs in channels of zeolite with an average size of between 35 nm. The resultsshowed MB degradation had reached 85 % under UV light. The MB indicatedmaximum adsorption at pH=9. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO was enhancedin the presence of zeolite due to reduction of recombination rate of the electrohole in ZnO semiconductor.ARTICLE INF O