title: Photocatalytic activity of polymer-modified ZnO under visible light irradiation.
abstract: Photocatalytic removal of phenol, rhodamine B, and methyl orange was studied using the photocatalyst ZnO/poly-(fluorene-co-thiophene) (PFT) under visible light. After 2 h irradiation with three 1 W LED (light-emitting diode) lights, about 40% removal of both phenol and methyl orange was achieved; rhodamine B was completely degraded to rhodamine. Diffuse reflectance spectra showed that the absorbance range of PFT/ZnO was expanded from 387 nm (ZnO) to about 500 nm. Photoluminescent spectra and photoluminescent quantum efficiency indicated that electrons were transferred from PFT to the conduction band of ZnO. Electron spin resonance (ESR) signals of spin-trapped paramagnetic species with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) evidenced that the OH* radicals were indeed formed in the PFT/ZnO system under visible light irradiation. A working mechanism involving excitation of PFT, followed by charge injection into the ZnO conduction band is proposed.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China. eesqrl@mail.sysu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Rongliang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Dongdong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yueqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Xiongfei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D008027:Light; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010777:Photochemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D015034:Zinc Oxide