The present study compares the photocatalytic decolorization ability of bare Mn-doped ZnO and montmorillonite modified Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles towards aqueous solution of organic dyes (methylene blue and malachite green) under UV light irradiation. Both photocatalysts were synthesized using co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared absorption, electron spin resonance, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Comparison of degradation efficiency demonstrated that montmorillonite modified Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited higher activity than bare Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles.
Synthesis, structural and optical properties of pure ZnO and Co doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared by the co-precipitation method