title: Visible light photocatalytic activity of Fe(3+)-doped ZnO nanoparticle prepared via sol-gel technique.
abstract: The optical properties of a ZnO photocatalyst were enhanced with various dopant concentrations of Fe(3+). Doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol-gel method without the use of capping agents or surfactants and was then characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The results showed that ZnO has a wurtzite, hexagonal structure and that the Fe(3+) ions were well incorporated into the ZnO crystal lattice. As the Fe(3+) concentration increased from 0.25 wt.% to 1 wt.%, the crystal size decreased in comparison with the undoped ZnO. The spectral absorption shifts of the visible light region (red shift) and the band gap decreases for each Fe-ZnO sample were investigated. The photocatalytic activities of the ZnO and Fe-ZnO samples were evaluated based on the degradation of 2-chlorophenol in aqueous solution under solar radiation. The samples with a small concentration of Fe(3+) ions showed enhanced photocatalytic activity with an optimal maximum performance at 0.5 wt.%. The results indicated that toxicity removal of 2-chlorophenol at same line of degradation efficiency. Small crystallite size and low band gap were attributed to high activities of Fe-ZnO samples under various concentrations of Fe(3+) ions compared to undoped ZnO.
authors: Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. muneer711@gmail.com
authors: Muneer M
authors: MM
authors: Ba-Abbad
authors: Abdul Amir H
authors: AA
authors: Kadhum
authors: Abu Bakar
authors: AB
authors: Mohamad
authors: Mohd S
authors: MS
authors: Takriff
authors: Kamaruzzaman
authors: K
authors: Sopian
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008027:Light; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000528:radiation effects*; D044367:Phase Transition; D010782:Photolysis; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D002733:Chlorophenols; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C030683:2-chlorophenol; D015034:Zinc Oxide