Saba Payrazm, Saeid Baghshahi, Zahra Sadeghian, Amirtaymour Aliabadizadeh,
Volume 19, Issue 3 (9-2022)
Abstract
In this research, zinc oxide quantum dots and graphene nanocomposites were synthesized via two different methods; In the first (direct) method, ZnO-graphene Nanocomposites were made mixing the synthesized zinc oxide and graphene. In the second (indirect) method, zinc nitrate, graphene, and sodium hydroxide were used to made ZnO-graphene Nanocomposites. XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy analyses were used for phase and structural evaluations. The morphology of the nanocomposites w::as char::acterized by SEM. The specific surface area and porosity of the samples were characterized by BET analysis. The optical properties of the samples were investigated by photoluminescence and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy analyses. Results showed that using graphene, increased the photoluminescence property and shifted the photoluminescence spectrum of the composites towards the visible light spectrum. The photoluminescence of the synthesized graphene-zinc oxide composite, in the visible light region, was closer to white light than that of pure zinc oxide. According to the results of BET test, the nanocomposite synthesized by direct method had a higher surface area (25.7 m2.g-1) and a higher porosity (0.32 cm3.g-1) than the nanocomposite synthesized by the indirect method with a specific surface area of (16.5 m2.g-1) and a porosity of 0.23 cm3.g-1).
Salihah Alkhobrani, Hossein Bayahia, Fares T. Alshorifi,
Volume 20, Issue 3 (9-2023)
Abstract
In this study, CoFe2O4 (CoF) and ZnFe2O4 (ZnF) photocatalysts were successfully prepared by a facile and simple chemical precipitation method for degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under direct sunlight irradiation. The obtained ferrites were then characterized through XRD, TEM, EDS, UV-vis, and SEM. XRD and TEM results exhibited cubic nanostructures with sizes ranging from 9 to 16 nm and 11 to 18 nm for ZnF and CoF, respectively. SEM images showed homogenous, porous flat surfaces. EDS spectra confirmed the successful synthesis of ZnF and CoF nanostructures with high purity. UV-vis spectra results of MB and MO dyes showed maximum sunlight absorbance in the absence of ZnF and CoF, while a regular decrease in the sunlight absorbance was observed in the presence of ZnF and CoF within 15-60 min. The UV-vis results also showed that ZnF had higher photocatalytic activity than CoF. The experimental findings showed that the highest % degradation was 92.89% and 96.89% for MO and MB dyes, respectively, over ZnF compared to CoF photocatalyst (87.55% and 88.41% for MO and MB, respectively). These findings confirm that porous ZnF and CoF nanostructures are critical in promoting the degradation of dyes under sunlight instead of UV-vis light lamps that consume/require electrical energy.
