ENHANCED PHOTOCATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF MnOx CO-CATALYTIC MODIFIED ZnO NANOSTRUCTURED FILMS FOR ORGANIC DYE DEGRADATION

Abstract

This work aims to enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZnO films for persistent organic pollutants. The photocatalysis method has gained significant interest as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to enhance the safety of clean water by eliminating persistent organic pollutants. Zinc oxide as a transition metal oxide is recognized as a highly effective material for photocatalysis. Even so, ZnO can be modified to increase its action and result in a more significant degradation of organic pollutants. In the photocatalytic process, an electron from the valence band is excited and moves to a higher energy level, the conduction band. Thus, an electron-hole
pair is formed. Unstoichiometry transition metal oxides, such as MnOx are hole-trapping co-catalysts that promote oxidation processes.
This research reported the sol-gel synthesis of ZnO nanostructured films co-catalytic modified with MnOx for organic dye degradation. The confirmed features of ZnO/MnOx films are characterized by different analytical tools such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The surface of the zinc oxide revealed a hexagonal wurtzite structure and a visible ganglia-like pattern. MnOx co-catalytic modification plays a vital role in the percent degradation of the organic dye under UV-irradiation conditions.