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The role of zinc metal salts on size, morphology and photocatalytic activity of ZnO

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2018

S.S. Nkabinde ,
X. Mathebula ,
Z. Tetana  and
N. Moloto
S.S. Nkabinde
Affiliation:
Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, Republic of South Africa
X. Mathebula
Affiliation:
Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, Republic of South Africa
Z. Tetana
Affiliation:
Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, Republic of South Africa
N. Moloto*
Affiliation:
Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, Republic of South Africa
*
*Corresponding author email address: Nosipho.Moloto@wits.ac.za
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Abstract

Herein, we report on the syntheses of ZnO nanoparticles using different precursors Zn(NO3)2•6H2O, Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O, ZnCl2, and ZnSO4.H2O by a microwave assisted method. The different precursors resulted in different structural, optical and photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye. The nanoparticles resulted in rod-like and pseudo-spherical morphologies when the ZnO2•6H2O, (Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O and ZnCl2 precursors were used, with the proportion of the spherical morphology in each photocatalyst varying in the order Zn(NO3)2•6H2O > Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O > ZnCl2. The ZnSO4.H2O precursor yielded trapezium shaped particles that were agglomerated through oriented attachment. For photocatalytic degradation studies, the fastest degradation was achieved using the SNO3- photocatalyst, which degraded the dye in a period of 120 min, followed by SCH3COO- at 150 min, SCl- at 180 min and SSO42- managing to degrade only 15 % of the dye after 240 min. The difference in the activity was attributed to surface area differences, which followed the order SNO3- > SCH3COO- >SCl- > SSO42-, with the photocatalyst that had the highest surface area showing high degradation rates. The high degradation rate observed for the SNO3- photocatalyst was also attributed to the presence of a large number of spherical particles thereby having a larger proportion of the high energy [0001] and [000-1] faces known to be highly active.

Keywords

morphologynanostructureoptical propertiesoxidephotochemical
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 3 , Issue 42-43: African Materials Research Society 2017 , 2018 , pp. 2653 - 2665
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

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