Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties
The effect of pH on the structural, textural, morphological, and electronic properties of ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles obtained by coprecipitation using mild reaction conditions (25 °C; 30 min) was studied. The pH ranges in which coprecipitation reactions occur...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/6/952 |
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| author | Dalia Téllez-Flores Manuel Sánchez-Cantú María de Lourdes Ruiz-Peralta Esteban López-Salinas Armando Pérez-Centeno Francisco Tzompantzi Alejandro Escobedo-Morales |
| author_facet | Dalia Téllez-Flores Manuel Sánchez-Cantú María de Lourdes Ruiz-Peralta Esteban López-Salinas Armando Pérez-Centeno Francisco Tzompantzi Alejandro Escobedo-Morales |
| author_sort | Dalia Téllez-Flores |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effect of pH on the structural, textural, morphological, and electronic properties of ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles obtained by coprecipitation using mild reaction conditions (25 °C; 30 min) was studied. The pH ranges in which coprecipitation reactions occurred and the chemical species associated with the reaction mechanism were identified. It was determined that the samples synthesized at pH values between 6 and 10 consisted of Zn-Ga oxide blends, with spinel ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> being the majority phase. Conversely, the material prepared at pH 12 was constituted by Zn-Ga layered double hydroxide phase along with wurtzite ZnO traces. The synthesis pH determined the reaction product yield, which decreased from 51 to 21% when the reaction medium turned from softly acidic (pH 6) to strongly alkaline conditions (pH 12). The bandgap energies of the synthesized materials were estimated to be in the range of 4.71–4.90 eV. A coprecipitation-dissolution-crystallization mechanism was proposed from the precipitation curve, with specific mononuclear and polynuclear species being involved in the formation of the different precipitates. Phenol was employed as a probe molecule to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples. Among the samples, the one prepared at pH 6 showed the largest photodegradation efficiency (~98%), which was superior to commercial TiO<sub>2</sub>-Degussa P25 (~88%) under the same process conditions, which can be attributed to both its high specific surface area (140 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>) and the formation of a Zn<sub>2<i>x</i></sub>Ga<sub>2−2<i>x</i></sub>O<sub>3+<i>x</i></sub>/ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> heterojunction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:36:02Z |
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| id | doaj.art-ad8828999b0046e590e0f42d9bf6a40c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:36:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-ad8828999b0046e590e0f42d9bf6a40c2023-11-18T09:57:02ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522023-06-0113695210.3390/cryst13060952Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic PropertiesDalia Téllez-Flores0Manuel Sánchez-Cantú1María de Lourdes Ruiz-Peralta2Esteban López-Salinas3Armando Pérez-Centeno4Francisco Tzompantzi5Alejandro Escobedo-Morales6Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Puebla 72570, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Química, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Puebla 72570, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Química, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Puebla 72570, MexicoInstituto Mexicano del Petróleo, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 152, México City 07730, MexicoDepartamento de Física, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Boulevard Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Guadalajara 44430, MexicoDepartamento de Química, Área de Catálisis, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco 189, Iztapalapa, México City 09340, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Química, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Puebla 72570, MexicoThe effect of pH on the structural, textural, morphological, and electronic properties of ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles obtained by coprecipitation using mild reaction conditions (25 °C; 30 min) was studied. The pH ranges in which coprecipitation reactions occurred and the chemical species associated with the reaction mechanism were identified. It was determined that the samples synthesized at pH values between 6 and 10 consisted of Zn-Ga oxide blends, with spinel ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> being the majority phase. Conversely, the material prepared at pH 12 was constituted by Zn-Ga layered double hydroxide phase along with wurtzite ZnO traces. The synthesis pH determined the reaction product yield, which decreased from 51 to 21% when the reaction medium turned from softly acidic (pH 6) to strongly alkaline conditions (pH 12). The bandgap energies of the synthesized materials were estimated to be in the range of 4.71–4.90 eV. A coprecipitation-dissolution-crystallization mechanism was proposed from the precipitation curve, with specific mononuclear and polynuclear species being involved in the formation of the different precipitates. Phenol was employed as a probe molecule to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples. Among the samples, the one prepared at pH 6 showed the largest photodegradation efficiency (~98%), which was superior to commercial TiO<sub>2</sub>-Degussa P25 (~88%) under the same process conditions, which can be attributed to both its high specific surface area (140 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>−1</sup>) and the formation of a Zn<sub>2<i>x</i></sub>Ga<sub>2−2<i>x</i></sub>O<sub>3+<i>x</i></sub>/ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> heterojunction.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/6/952spinelzinc gallatelayered double hydroxidephotocatalysis |
| spellingShingle | Dalia Téllez-Flores Manuel Sánchez-Cantú María de Lourdes Ruiz-Peralta Esteban López-Salinas Armando Pérez-Centeno Francisco Tzompantzi Alejandro Escobedo-Morales Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties Crystals spinel zinc gallate layered double hydroxide photocatalysis |
| title | Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties |
| title_full | Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties |
| title_fullStr | Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties |
| title_short | Aqueous Chemical Synthesis of Nanosized ZnGa<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Using Mild Reaction Conditions: Effect of pH on the Structural, Morphological, Textural, Electronic, and Photocatalytic Properties |
| title_sort | aqueous chemical synthesis of nanosized znga sub 2 sub o sub 4 sub using mild reaction conditions effect of ph on the structural morphological textural electronic and photocatalytic properties |
| topic | spinel zinc gallate layered double hydroxide photocatalysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/13/6/952 |
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