Tailored synthesis of Sm₂O₃ and Eu₂O₃ doped ZrO₂ nanoparticles: photodegradation of p-nitrophenol in water

Abstract

A series of zirconia nanoparticles with relatively high photocatalytic degradation ability toward the organic dyes were synthesized. The obtained nanomaterials were fully identified using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) techniques. By XRD results, it was proved that the samples represented pure tetragonal phase even at high temperatures having the most photocatalytic activities for these processes. A water solution of p-nitrophenol with the concentration of 10 ppm, was employed to test the photocatalytic activities of the zirconia samples. The photodegradation of p-nitrophenol by zirconia samples was followed by the UV–Vis spectroscopy technique using the maximum absorbance of this organic dye at 320 nm. The rates of photodegradation were measured employing the obtained absorbance spectra and kinetic first order equation. Finally, the effects of calcination temperature and amount of dopant on the photocatalytic activity of the zirconia nanoparticles were investigated.