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Design and simulation of a photocatalysis reactor for rhodamine B degradation using cobalt-doped ZnO film

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Abstract

This research aims to investigate the simulation of a pilot-scale photocatalytic reactor based on cobalt-doped ZnO films, where the photocatalyst films were initially assessed on a lab scale for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. ZnO and cobalt-doped ZnO catalyst films were firstly synthesized by means of the spray pyrolysis technique. The catalyst films were then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and diffuse spectroscopy (EDS) (DRS). The lattice parameters of cobalt-doped ZnO films, as well as their bandgap values and structures, have been computed applying the density functional theory (DFT). Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used to assess the effect of the main operating parameters (contact time, RhB concentration, and cobalt doping percentage) on the photocatalytic activity that achieved 93% using 10% of cobalt doping ZnO within 120 min. Aspen Plus was used to model and design the photocatalysis process at the pilot scale based on the lab-scale results. The findings of this study suggest that cobalt-doped ZnO films could be effectively used for the photodegradation of organic pollutants and offer potential perspectives on their large-scale application for the treatment of real liquid effluents using solar light.

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Acknowledgements

In the present work, the authors are grateful for the Innovation Center (University Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah of Fez, Morocco for performing the XRD analysis and for the general research services (SEM and DRS) at the CNRST (Morocco).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Catalysis, Process, Materials and Environment, School of Technology, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Morocco, Fès, Morocco

    Karim Tanji, Morad Zouheir & Abdelhak Kherbeche

  2. Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Johan Gadolin Process Chemistry Centre, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

    Mouad Hachhach

  3. Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Hassan Ahmoum

  4. Laboratory of Materials Physics and Subatomics (LMPS), Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, BP 133, Kenitra, Morocco

    Ilyass Jellal & Khalid Nouneh

  5. LaMCScI, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, BP.1014, 10000, Rabat, Morocco

    Hind El Masaoudi & Mohammed Benaissa

  6. Laboratory of Materials and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco

    Yassine Naciri

  7. Laboratory of Molecular Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

    Tan-Phat Huynh

  8. Applied Chemistry and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Hassan 1st University, BP 577, Route de Casablanca, Settat, Morocco

    Jamal Naja

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  1. Karim Tanji
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Tanji, K., Zouheir, M., Hachhach, M. et al. Design and simulation of a photocatalysis reactor for rhodamine B degradation using cobalt-doped ZnO film. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 134, 1017–1038 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-021-02116-3

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