PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION OF SONOCHEMICALLY DOPED FE3+ INTO ZNO NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

In this present study, mechanistic investigation of ultrasound ‐assisted dye decolorization/degradation was investi gated using sonochemically prepared Fe 3+ doped ZnO. Fe 3+ doped ZnO nanoparticle was prepared under ultrasou nd (20 kHz) irradiation using a doping concentration of 2 wt% of Fe(III). To invest igate the catalytic activity of Fe 3+ doped ZnO, Acid Red 14 (azo dye) was chosen for decolorization/degradation using sonolysis, pho tocatalysis and sono‐photocatalysis processes. To sthe influence of dopant onto structure, crystallinity, and optical properties, different analytical analyses were performed su ch as X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTI R), Zeta potential, Delsa Nano Particle Size Analyz er (PSA), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer analysis (VSM) and Field Emission Scan ning Electron Microscopy (FE ‐SEM) etc. For photocatalytic experiments, a blended high pressure mercury UV lamp with maximum peak emission at 365 nm was used. The decolorizatio n/degradation of dye with modified photocatalyst showed faster reaction kinetics under sono‐photocatalytic process. Ultraso und showed an additive effect for degradation/decolorization process. The maximum decolorization of AR14 was achieved (~ 82%) under sono‐photocatlytic process with an initial dye concentration of 20 ppm . The sono ‐photocatalysis process showed 1.4 ‐ 1.6 higher reac tion rates with Fe‐ doped ZnO than pure ZnO. Index Terms: ZnO, Fe‐ZnO, Fe-doped ZnO, Sonocatalytic, Photocat alytic, Advanced Oxidation Process, AOP