Small organic molecule pollutants in wastewater effluents, surface water, and drinking water pose a hazard to environmental and human health. While semiconductors, like zinc oxide, are highly suitable for the photocatalytic degradation of these pollutants, the photocatalytic efficiency of zinc oxide can be further improved by incorporating metal nanoparticles creating a hybrid material. In this presentation, the synthesis, characterization, and dye removal efficiency of novel ZnO/Ag-NP hybrid materials will be discussed. The novel hybrid materials are synthesized using two methods: surface functionalization of the zinc oxide followed by chemical attachment of Ag nanoparticles and direct combination of zinc oxide precursors and Ag nanoparticles during synthesis. Characterization, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), will be discussed in terms of structural and compositional differences among the materials. To compare the dye removal efficiency of the composite catalysts in aqueous systems, the model pollutant, Congo Red dye, will be used in both adsorption isotherms and photocatalytic degradation trials demonstrating the importance of proper adsorption controls in the heterogenous photocatalyst studies. This work and continued research can lead to the development of materials for decontamination of polluted aquatic systems.

Synthesis and characterization of novel silver nanoparticle-zinc oxide hybrid nanomaterials for adsorption and photocatalysis of Congo red dye pollutant

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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