A comparison study of the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles for organic contaminants degradation under low-power UV-A lamp

Van Viet Pham, Thanh Dat Nguyen, Phan Phuong Ha La and Minh Thi Cao

Abstract

In this study ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized by the sol-gel method and the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the organic contaminants in water under low-power ultra-violet type A lamp (UV-A) was investigated. The characterizations of ZnO NPs were investigated by x-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-Vis absorption spectrum. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs was investigated detailly including the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and phenol under UV-A lamp irradiation. Furthermore, the trapping tests with scavengers were also conducted to determine the primary parameter for the photocatalysis of ZnO NPs.