Photocatalytic properties of ZnO/TiO2 powders obtained via combustion gel method

Abstract

The present study is a continuation of our previous investigations on the ZnO-TiO2 system. By applying different sol-gel methods we proved that the type of precursor and the order of adding the components influence the microstructure of the final product. This study focuses on the combustion sol-gel synthesis and photocatalytic properties of nanosized (∼7-20 nm) ZnO-TiO2 powders. The photocatalytic tests were performed toward two model organic dyes, Malachite Green and Reactive Black 5, in the UV and Vis region. For synthesis of ZnO/TiO2 powders, different precursors such as Zn(NO3)2·6H2O, Zn(CH 3COO)2·2H2O, Ti(OC2H 5)4 and Ti(OC4H9)4 were used. During the combustion process various phases (ZnO, TiO2 - anatase and rutile, ZnTiO3) were obtained. The structure and morphology of the resulting particles were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis. All samples exhibited a good photocatalytic activity in both UV and Vis regions. © 2012 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.