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Enhanced photocatalytic mineralization efficiency of anionic element doped ZnO by improving separation of excitons

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Abstract

Carbon-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized through different carbon precursors namely fullerene, glucose, and sucrose via hydrothermal method. The presence of carbon in the ZnO lattice was confirmed by the shifting of diffraction peaks and micro Raman characteristic peak of ZnO towards the lower values. XPS spectra confirms the Zn–O–C bond from the shifting of binding energy peaks towards the higher value for C-ZnO due to the variation in the electronegativity values of C and O. Based on the elemental analysis and photoluminescence studies, the deficiency of O and Zn in ZnO was confirmed while ZnO doped with carbon. The visible-light catalytic performance of the prepared photocatalysts for the mineralization of organic dye was studied. Carbon plays a significant contribution to enhance the photocatalytic activity and photostability of pristine ZnO till fourth cycle by overcoming the photocorrosion of ZnO because of its environmental and biological friendly nature. The trapping experiments were employed to demonstrate the degradation process and the possible photocatalysis mechanism.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Management, Principal, Vice Principal and HOD Physics, SRM Valliammai Engineering College and Functional Materials and Energy Devices Lab SRMIST for providing the research lab facilities. The author NS thankful to the Management, Principal, Sri Sai Ram Engineering College for their encouragement and support. The authors acknowledge Nanotechnology Research Centre (NRC), SRMIST (XRD, UV-DRS, XPS and FESEM) for providing the research facilities. Also, the authors acknowledge HRTEM Facility at SRMIST set up with support from MNRE (Project No. 31/03/2014-15/PVSE-R&D), Government of India, Micro-Raman Facility at SRMIST and Photoluminescence spectrometer facility at SRM Research Institute, SRMIST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Sri Sai Ram Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600044, India

    N. Srinivasan alias Arunsankar

  2. Department of Physics, SRM Valliammai Engineering College, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    M. Anbuchezhiyan & S. Padmaja

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  1. N. Srinivasan alias Arunsankar
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Correspondence to M. Anbuchezhiyan.

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Srinivasan alias Arunsankar, N., Anbuchezhiyan, M. & Padmaja, S. Enhanced photocatalytic mineralization efficiency of anionic element doped ZnO by improving separation of excitons. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 12631–12647 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-05899-2

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