Photocatalytic degradation of an organic dye using Ag doped ZrO2 nanoparticles: Milk powder facilitated eco-friendly synthesis

Abstract

Silver doped zirconium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using milk powder via single step solution combustion method and has been examined for the removal of toxic chemicals from an organic dye. Ag doped ZrO2 were intended to play a vital role in the removal of accumulated contaminants in aqueous environment due to high efficiency of visible light triggered photocatalytic activity. The obtained product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, BET measurements and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD and FTIR investigation probe the occurrence of silver in the synthesized final nanoparticles. The calculated average crystallite size is about 10–16 nm. Pure ZrO2 and Ag doped ZrO2 nanoparticles were analyzed against Rhodamine B (Rh B), a cataionic dye in visible light irradiation. By the analysis of experiments, silver (6 mol %) doped ZrO2 shows good photocatalyst towards 95% of Rhodamine B degradation with 150 mg photocatalyst and 10 ppm dye within 105 min. Keywords: Ag doped ZrO2, Phototocatalysis, Rhodamine B, BET, Green synthesis, Milk powder