ZnCo2O4/g-C3N4/Cu nanocomposite as a new efficient and recyclable heterogeneous photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards the metronidazole degradation under the solar light irradiation
| Autor: | Jahanshahi, Roya, Mohammadi, Alieh, Doosti, Mohammadreza, Sobhani, Sara, Sansano, Jose M. |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Universidad de Alicante. Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Alicante. Instituto Universitario de Síntesis Orgánica, Síntesis Asimétrica (SINTAS) |
| Rok vydání: | 2022 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | RUA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Alicante Universidad de Alicante (UA) |
| Popis: | In this study, ZnCo2O4/g-C3N4/Cu is synthesized as a new and highly effectual solar light-driven heterogeneous photocatalyst. The prepared photocatalyst is characterized using FT-IR, XRD, XPS, DRS, FESEM, TEM, EDS, and elemental mapping techniques. The performance of ZnCo2O4/g-C3N4/Cu is studied towards the metronidazole (MNZ) degradation under solar light irradiation. The kinetics of MNZ degradation and efficacy of the operational parameters comprising the initial MNZ amount (10–30 mg L−1), photocatalyst dosage (0.005–0.05 g L−1), pH (3–11), and contact time (5–30 min) on the MNZ degradation process are investigated. Surprisingly, the ZnCo2O4/g-C3N4/Cu nanocomposite presents a privileged photocatalytic performance towards the MNZ degradation under solar light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of this photocatalyst can be ascribed to the synergistic optical effects of ZnCo2O4, g-C3N4, and Cu. The value of band gap energy for ZnCo2O4/g-C3N4/Cu is estimated to be 2.3 eV based on the Tauc plot of (αhν)2 vs. hν. The radical quenching experiments confirm that the superoxide radicals and holes are the principal active species in the photocatalytic degradation of MNZ, whereas the hydroxyl radicals have no major role in such degradation. The as-prepared photocatalyst is simply isolated and recycled for at least eight runs without noticeable loss of the efficiency. Using the natural sunlight source, applying a very low amount of the photocatalyst, neutrality of the reaction medium, short reaction time, high efficiency of the degradation procedure, utilizing air as the oxidant, low operational costs, and easy to recover and reuse of the photocatalyst are the significant highlights of the present method. It is supposed that the current investigation can be a step forward in the representation of an efficacious photocatalytic system in the treatment of a wide range of contaminated aquatic environments. Financial support of this project by University of Birjand Research Council is appreciated. The authors also thank the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU) (project PID2019-107268GB-I00) and the University of Alicante. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|