Abstract
The current study is focused on fabrication of a ternary metal oxide nanocomposite (ZnO/CuO/Ag2O) as an efficient and superior photocatalyst by step wise implanting of p-type of CuO and Ag2O semiconductors onto n-type of semiconductor (ZnO) via chemical method. The structural and textural characteristics of manufactured samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy combine electron dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performance of the fabricated ternary nanocomposite was tested against the photocatalytic degradation of Crystal violet (CV) and Rhodamine B (RhB) organic dyes under solar light irradiation. The ternary nanocomposite demonstrated about 99.05% and 97.38% degradation efficiencies for CV and RhB dyes under solar light irradiation in a time period of 105 min. The calculated rate constants (k, min−1) for degradation under solar light over the ZnO/CuO/Ag2O nanocomposite were 4.26 and 3.61 times higher than the k value obtained over ZnO nanoparticles for CV and RhB dyes, respectively. The main reactive species taken part in the photodegradation processes were •OH and •O2− over ZnO/CuO/Ag2O photocatalyst under solar light illumination. Further the recycle experiments confirm good reusability and photo-stability of ZnO/CuO/Ag2O ternary nanocomposite.
Defect engineering for improved photocatalytic performance of reduced lead titanate (PbTiO3) under solar light irradiation