3d (Co and Mn) and 4d (Ag) Transition Metal-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Anchored on CdZnS for the Photodegradation of Rhodamine B

Ann Wangari Mureithi; Chen Song; Thi Kim Tran Tran; Hawi N. Nyiera; Xueni Huang; Tejas S. Bhosale; Abiodun Daniel Aderibigbe; Ranjana Burman; Steven L. Suib; Jing Zhao

doi:10.3390/cryst14010041

Crystals (Dec 2023)

3d (Co and Mn) and 4d (Ag) Transition Metal-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Anchored on CdZnS for the Photodegradation of Rhodamine B

Ann Wangari Mureithi,
Chen Song,
Thi Kim Tran Tran,
Hawi N. Nyiera,
Xueni Huang,
Tejas S. Bhosale,
Abiodun Daniel Aderibigbe,
Ranjana Burman,
Steven L. Suib,
Jing Zhao

Affiliations

Ann Wangari Mureithi: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Chen Song: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Thi Kim Tran Tran: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Hawi N. Nyiera: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Xueni Huang: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Tejas S. Bhosale: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Abiodun Daniel Aderibigbe: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Ranjana Burman: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Steven L. Suib: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
Jing Zhao: Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, 55 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010041
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
p. 41

Abstract

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The construction of a heterojunction by coupling two semiconductor photocatalysts with appropriate band positions can effectively reduce the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, thus improving their catalytic efficiency. Recently, ZnO photocatalysts have been highly sought after in the synthesis of semiconductor heterostructures due to their wide band gap and low conduction band position. Particularly, transition metal-doped ZnO nanoparticles are attractive due to the additional charge separation caused by temporary electron trapping by the dopant ions as well as the improved absorption of visible light. In this paper, we compare the effect of doping ZnO nanoparticles with 3d (Co and Mn) and 4d (Ag) transition metals on the structural and optical properties of ZnO/CdZnS heterostructures and their photocatalytic performance. With the help of scanning electron microscopy, the successful anchoring of doped and undoped ZnO nanoparticles onto CdZnS nanostructures was confirmed. Among the different heterostructures, Ag-doped ZnO/CdZnS exhibited the best visible-light-driven degradation of rhodamine B at a rate of 1.0 × 10−2 min−1. The photocurrent density analysis showed that AgZnO/CdZnS has the highest amount of photogenerated charges, leading to the highest photocatalytic performance. The reduction in the photocatalytic performance in the presence of hole scavengers and hydroxyl radical scavengers confirmed that the availability of photogenerated electrons and holes plays a pivotal role in the degradation of rhodamine B.

Published in Crystals

ISSN: 2073-4352 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Crystallography
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals/

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