Effect of silver doping on structural and photocatalytic circumstances of ZnO nanoparticles

Eitemad  S. Fadhil; Luma Ahmed; Ayad  F. Mohammed

doi:10.47758/ijn.vi1.22

Eitemad S. Fadhil Chemistry Department, College of Science, University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq
Luma Ahmed Chemistry Department, College of Science, University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Iraq
Ayad F. Mohammed 2- Department of Chemistry, College of Women Science, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47758/ijn.vi1.22

Keywords: Ag doped Zinc oxide;, bare Zinc oxide, Photocatalytic decolouriz-ation;, methyl green dye, treatment of wastewater

Abstract

This article describes the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles (Nps) using the co-precipitation method and then calcinated at 500oC for 2 h. The photo activity of ZnO nanoparticles was examined in photo decolorization of methyl green dye under artificial UV -A light. This prepared photocatalyst (ZnO Np) was modified his surface by 2% Ag doped using the photo deposition method under inert gas for 3h. The characterization of undoped and 2% Ag doped ZnO Nps were estimated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). In FT-IR analysis, the new peaks occurred around 624-778 cm-1 confirmed the Ag really is doped on prepared ZnO Np. Based on data from XRD, the mean crystal size was reduced with doped the 2% Ag. The AFM images for the prepared photocatalysts ensure that the shapes of all samples are semi-spherical with nanometer size. Series of kinetics experiments were performed for the photocatalytic decolourization of methyl green dye using undoped and 2% Ag doped ZnO nanoparticle and found to be pseudo-first-order kinetics.