Abstract
ZnO/Ni/C magnetic photocatalytic particles were prepared using a hydrothermal technique. The aqueous solutions, having the molar ratios of Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O：Ni(NO3)2•6H2O：C3H4OH(COOH)3 = 6：1：4 and the molar concentration of the total metallic ions (Zn2+ and Ni2+) = 0.1 M, were prepared. The pH of the solution was adjusted using 2 M NH4OH(aq). The solutions were then hydrothermally treated at 180 ℃ for 2 h. After centrifugally filtering and freeze-drying, the dried solid precursors were obtained and then thermally analyzed to investigate their thermal behavior, followed by calcining the solid precursors in N2 atmosphere at different temperatures. The calcined specimens were characterized using x-ray diffractometer (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and photoluminescence spectroscope (PL). The photocatalytic performance of the prepared ZnO/Ni/C particles was evaluated by monitoring the ability to photocatalytically decompose the methylene blue in water under the irradiation of 365 nm UV light. Effects of pH values of the aqueous solution and calcination temperatures on the degree of crystallinity of ZnO and the weight ratio of ZnO to Ni in the ZnO/Ni/C magnetic photocatalytic particles were studied. The results indicated that the ZnO/Ni/C magnetic photocatalytic particles prepared by calcining the solid precursor obtained from the solution of pH = 4 (without NH4OH additions) in the nitrogen atmosphere at 600 ℃ possessed the best photocatalytic ability to decompose methylene, having a specific reaction rate, based on the mass of the photocatalyst used, 0.017 m3/(kg．s).
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