ZnO and Mn doped ZnO generated under three different synthesis conditions and photocatalytic reduction of hazardous hexavalent chromium by these photocatalysts

Abstract

In this article, chemical coprecipitation strategy for synthesizing manganese doped zinc oxide under three different synthesis conditions such as room condition, in the presence of microwave radiation and under solar radiation is being discussed. The efficiency of doped zinc oxide thus produced as a photocatalyst in the reduction of hazardous hexavalent chromium, a hemotoxic, genotoxic as well as a potent carcinogenic species, is also being discussed. For aiding comparison of photocatalytic efficiency, pure undoped zinc oxide was also produced by chemical precipitation approach under these three different conditions. Synthesized products were characterized through X-ray diffraction analysis and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In this study it was observed that catalysts produced under solar radiation possess higher efficiency.