Enhanced photocatalytic activity against crystal violet dye of Co and In doped ZnO thin films grown on PEI flexible substrate under UV and sunlight irradiations
Résumé
This work is focused on the photocatalytic activities of undoped ZnO, Co (1%) doped ZnO (CZO) and In (1%) doped ZnO (IZO) thin films grown on flexible PEI (Polyetherimide) substrate by spray pyrolysis. The photodegradation of crystal violet dye was investigated under UV and sunlight irradiations. Doping and excitation energy effects on photocatalytic efficiencies are discussed. All ZnO thin films show high photocatalytic efficiency up to 80% under either UV or sunlight irradiations for 210 min. However, CZO has the higher photocatalytic performance under UV irradiation. While, the photodegradation efficiency of IZO was enhanced under sunlight irradiation due to the narrowing of its optical gap. These results are discussed based on structural, morphological and optical investigations. The photocatalytic stability of ZnO films was studied as well. So, after three photocatalysis cycles, all ZnO thin films still effective. The obtained results are promising for the use of doped ZnO/PEI as talented photocatalysts for applications in large surfaces with various geometries for photodegradation of hazardous pollutants.
Mots clés
Materials science
Nanotechnology
Materials testing
Nanostructured material
ZnO thin films
Flexible substrate
Crystal violet dye
Photocatalysis
Photostability
Materials science Nanotechnology Materials testing Nanostructured material ZnO thin films Flexible substrate Crystal violet dye Photocatalysis Photostability
Domaines
Physique [physics]Origine | Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte |
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