Decoration of Zinc Oxide Nanorods into the Surface of Activated Carbon Obtained from Agricultural Waste for Effective Removal of Methylene Blue Dye
Priyanka Shrestha,
Manoj Kumar Jha,
Jeevan Ghimire,
Agni Raj Koirala,
Rajeshwar Man Shrestha,
Ram Kumar Sharma,
Bishweshwar Pant,
Mira Park,
Hem Raj Pant
Affiliations
Priyanka Shrestha
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Manoj Kumar Jha
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Jeevan Ghimire
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Agni Raj Koirala
Korea Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Shinsu-dong, Mapo-go, Seoul 121-742, Korea
Rajeshwar Man Shrestha
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Ram Kumar Sharma
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Bishweshwar Pant
Carbon Composite Energy Nanomaterials Research Center, Woosuk University, Wanju-Gun, Jeollabuk-do 55338, Korea
Mira Park
Carbon Composite Energy Nanomaterials Research Center, Woosuk University, Wanju-Gun, Jeollabuk-do 55338, Korea
Hem Raj Pant
Nanomaterials Lab, Department of Applied Sciences and Chemical Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods incorporated activated carbon (AC) composite photocatalyst was synthesized using a hydrothermal process. The AC was prepared from lapsi (Choerospondias axillaris) seed stone, an agricultural waste product, found in Nepal by the chemical activation method. An aqueous suspension of AC with ZnO precursor was subjected to the hydrothermal treatment at 140 °C for 2 h to decorate ZnO rods into the surface of AC. As-obtained ZnO nanorods decorated activated carbon (ZnO/AC) photocatalyst was characterized by various techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Results showed that highly crystalline hexagonal ZnO nanorods were effectively grown on the surface of porous AC. The photocatalytic property of the as-prepared ZnO/AC composite was studied by degrading methylene blue (MB) dye under UV-light irradiation. The ZnO/AC composite showed better photocatalytic property than that of the pristine ZnO nanorods. The enhanced photocatalytic performance in the case of the ZnO/AC composite is attributed to the combined effects of ZnO nanorods and AC.