Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation
In this work, a ZnO hemisphere-like structure co-doped with Er and Cr was obtained by the co-precipitation method for photocatalytic applications. The dopant’s effect on the ZnO lattice was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman, photoluminescence, UV-Vis and scanning electron microscopy/energy...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1446 |
| _version_ | 1797619595028201472 |
|---|---|
| author | Robson França Francisca Pereira Araujo Luan Neves Arthur Melo Alexsandro Lins Adriano Santana Soares Josy Anteveli Osajima Yuset Guerra Luciano Costa Almeida Ramón Raudel Peña-Garcia |
| author_facet | Robson França Francisca Pereira Araujo Luan Neves Arthur Melo Alexsandro Lins Adriano Santana Soares Josy Anteveli Osajima Yuset Guerra Luciano Costa Almeida Ramón Raudel Peña-Garcia |
| author_sort | Robson França |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this work, a ZnO hemisphere-like structure co-doped with Er and Cr was obtained by the co-precipitation method for photocatalytic applications. The dopant’s effect on the ZnO lattice was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman, photoluminescence, UV-Vis and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques. The photocatalytic response of the material was analyzed using methylene blue (MB) as the model pollutant under UV irradiation. The wurtzite structure of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O compound presented distortions in the lattice due to the difference between the ionic radii of the Cr<sup>3+</sup>, Er<sup>3+</sup> and Zn<sup>2+</sup> cations. Oxygen vacancy defects were predominant, and the energy competition of the dopants interfered in the band gap energy of the material. In the photocatalytic test, the MB degradation rate was 42.3%. However, using optimized H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentration, the dye removal capacity reached 90.1%. Inhibitor tests showed that <sup>•</sup>OH radicals were the main species involved in MB degradation that occurred without the formation of toxic intermediates, as demonstrated in the ecotoxicity assays in <i>Artemia salina</i>. In short, the co-doping with Er and Cr proved to be an efficient strategy to obtain new materials for environmental remediation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:30:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-360f0e77ada447018cf41f631ff861ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:30:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-360f0e77ada447018cf41f631ff861ed2023-11-16T21:49:54ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442023-02-01164144610.3390/ma16041446Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-PrecipitationRobson França0Francisca Pereira Araujo1Luan Neves2Arthur Melo3Alexsandro Lins4Adriano Santana Soares5Josy Anteveli Osajima6Yuset Guerra7Luciano Costa Almeida8Ramón Raudel Peña-Garcia9Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Física, Unidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Física, Unidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilUnidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilUnidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Física, Unidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Engenharia dos Materiais, Universidade Federal de Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Engenharia dos Materiais, Universidade Federal de Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, BrazilDepartamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, PI, BrazilDepartamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Física, Unidade Acadêmica do Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Cabo de Santo Agostinho 52171-900, PE, BrazilIn this work, a ZnO hemisphere-like structure co-doped with Er and Cr was obtained by the co-precipitation method for photocatalytic applications. The dopant’s effect on the ZnO lattice was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman, photoluminescence, UV-Vis and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques. The photocatalytic response of the material was analyzed using methylene blue (MB) as the model pollutant under UV irradiation. The wurtzite structure of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O compound presented distortions in the lattice due to the difference between the ionic radii of the Cr<sup>3+</sup>, Er<sup>3+</sup> and Zn<sup>2+</sup> cations. Oxygen vacancy defects were predominant, and the energy competition of the dopants interfered in the band gap energy of the material. In the photocatalytic test, the MB degradation rate was 42.3%. However, using optimized H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentration, the dye removal capacity reached 90.1%. Inhibitor tests showed that <sup>•</sup>OH radicals were the main species involved in MB degradation that occurred without the formation of toxic intermediates, as demonstrated in the ecotoxicity assays in <i>Artemia salina</i>. In short, the co-doping with Er and Cr proved to be an efficient strategy to obtain new materials for environmental remediation.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1446ZnOrare-earthtransition metalhemisphere-like structurephotocatalysis |
| spellingShingle | Robson França Francisca Pereira Araujo Luan Neves Arthur Melo Alexsandro Lins Adriano Santana Soares Josy Anteveli Osajima Yuset Guerra Luciano Costa Almeida Ramón Raudel Peña-Garcia Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation Materials ZnO rare-earth transition metal hemisphere-like structure photocatalysis |
| title | Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation |
| title_full | Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation |
| title_fullStr | Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation |
| title_short | Photoresponsive Activity of the Zn<sub>0.94</sub>Er<sub>0.02</sub>Cr<sub>0.04</sub>O Compound with Hemisphere-like Structure Obtained by Co-Precipitation |
| title_sort | photoresponsive activity of the zn sub 0 94 sub er sub 0 02 sub cr sub 0 04 sub o compound with hemisphere like structure obtained by co precipitation |
| topic | ZnO rare-earth transition metal hemisphere-like structure photocatalysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1446 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robsonfranca photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT franciscapereiraaraujo photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT luanneves photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT arthurmelo photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT alexsandrolins photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT adrianosantanasoares photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT josyanteveliosajima photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT yusetguerra photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT lucianocostaalmeida photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation AT ramonraudelpenagarcia photoresponsiveactivityoftheznsub094subersub002subcrsub004subocompoundwithhemispherelikestructureobtainedbycoprecipitation |