Photocatalytic Performance of for Removal of Phenol under Simulated Sunlight Irradiation
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 2
Abstract
A photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via an impregnation method. The high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) result shows that had coated the surface of ZnO, indicating a sufficient blending between ZnO and during synthesis. Reduced photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the reveals the synergic effect of the hybrid nanoparticles on the recombination of photoinduced electron–hole pairs. The resultant photocatalysts show higher degradation efficiency of phenol than that of pure ZnO under simulated sunlight irradiation. Especially, the demonstrate the highest photodegradation efficiency of phenol because of the high amount of •OH radicals generated in the photocatalytic reaction. Process parameters such as photocatalyst amount, initial phenol concentration, and solution pH show a remarkable effect on the photocatalytic activity of . The degradation mechanism of phenol is also detailed through identification of product intermediates and detection of reactive species. Moreover, the photocatalyst could be reused several times without appreciable loss of activity, showing great potential to be an excellent candidate for environmental remediation.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a Research Universiti Grant (No. 814176) and International Research Collaboration Fund (No. 910404) from Universiti Sains Malaysia as well as a scholarship given by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 2 • February 2018
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 3, 2017
Accepted: Jul 5, 2017
Published online: Nov 17, 2017
Published in print: Feb 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Apr 17, 2018
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