Electrocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Using Li-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles: Novel Approach
Vanga Ganesh,
Bandapelli Ravi Kumar,
Thekrayat. H. AlAbdulaal,
Ibrahim. S. Yahia,
Mohamed Sh. Abdel-wahab,
Ramesh Ade,
Mai S. A. Hussien,
Mohamed Keshway
Affiliations
Vanga Ganesh
Laboratory of Nano-Smart Materials for Science and Technology (LNSMST), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
Bandapelli Ravi Kumar
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
Thekrayat. H. AlAbdulaal
Laboratory of Nano-Smart Materials for Science and Technology (LNSMST), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
Ibrahim. S. Yahia
Laboratory of Nano-Smart Materials for Science and Technology (LNSMST), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Sh. Abdel-wahab
Materials Science and Nanotechnology Department, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni–Suef University, Beni–Suef 62511, Egypt
Ramesh Ade
Department of Physics, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, R V S Nagar, Aziz Nagar (P.O.), Moinabad Road, Hyderabad 500075, India
Mai S. A. Hussien
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Roxy, Cairo 11757, Egypt
Mohamed Keshway
Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 1 Ahmed El-Zomor Street, Nasr City 11727, Egypt
In this paper, we discuss the preparation of Li-doped ZnO nanostructures through combustion and report on their structural, morphological, optical, and electrocatalysis properties. X-ray diffraction analyses show that the samples have a structure crystallized into the usual hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure according to the P63mc space group. The scanning electron microscope images conceal all samples’ nanosphere bundles and aggregates. The reflectance spectra analysis showed that the direct bandgap values varied from 3.273 eV (for pure ZnO, i.e., ZnL1) to 3.256 eV (for high Li-doped ZnO). The measured capacitance concerning frequency has estimated the variation of dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and AC conductivity against AC electric field frequency. The dielectric constant variations and AC conductivity are analyzed and discussed by well-known models such as Koop’s phenomenological theory and Jonscher’s law. The Raman spectra have been recorded and examined for the prepared samples. Rhodamine B was electro-catalytically degraded in all prepared samples, with the fastest time for ZnL5 being 3 min.
