Abstract
ABSTRACTNeodymium-doped ZnO nanorods (Nd/ZNRs) were prepared for the first time by a simple and surfactant-free solvothermal route. The synthesized samples were characterized using different instrumental techniques. The photoluminescence results showed that the Nd(2.0 at%)/ZNRs exhibited the highest separation rate of charge carriers and the highest formation rate of hydroxyl radicals. The photocatalytic activities of synthesized samples were investigated toward the degradation of endocrine disrupting chemical resorcinol under natural sunlight irradiation. Among the samples, Nd(2.0 at%)/ZNRs showed considerable improvement in the photocatalytic activity for the resorcinol degradation as compared to ZNRs and commercial TiO2. Kinetic studies revealed that the photocatalytic degradation of resorcinol obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetic. The high-performance liquid chromatography and total organic carbon analyses also demonstrated the progressive mineralization of resorcinol into carbon dioxide and water. Furthermore, high stability of Nd/ZNRs in photocatalytic reaction also demonstrated promising potential toward practical applications in purifying environmental pollutants.
Published Version
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