TY - JOUR
T1 - Tailored routes for home-made Bi-doped ZnO nanoparticles. Photocatalytic performances towards o-toluidine, a toxic water pollutant
AU - Mostoni, S.
AU - Pifferi, V.
AU - Falciola, L.
AU - Meroni, D.
AU - Pargoletti, E.
AU - Davoli, E.
AU - Cappelletti, G.
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Herein we report the photodegradation of highly toxic o-toluidine in aqueous media (under UV irradiation), by using home-made bare and bismuth-doped ZnO nanoparticles. The latter powder was prepared by both a traditional impregnation method and by an innovative sol-gel synthesis, obtained using bismuth nitrate as precursor. Moreover, synthetic conditions (such as zinc salts and medium acidity) were varied in order to obtain different semiconductor nanopowders with diverse physico-chemical properties and, hence, photocatalytic performances. Both the disappearance and the mineralization of the pollutant molecule were followed by Linear Sweep Voltammetry and Total Organic Carbon techniques, respectively. Photocatalysis by-products were then identified by HPLC–MS (on eluates, after 3 h and 6 h) and ATR-FTIR (on used nanopowders) analyses. Thus, a new photodegradation pathway (with azo dimer derivatives in the first step) has been proposed. Bi-impregnated samples show high degree of mineralization, reducing the stability of the intermediates.
AB - Herein we report the photodegradation of highly toxic o-toluidine in aqueous media (under UV irradiation), by using home-made bare and bismuth-doped ZnO nanoparticles. The latter powder was prepared by both a traditional impregnation method and by an innovative sol-gel synthesis, obtained using bismuth nitrate as precursor. Moreover, synthetic conditions (such as zinc salts and medium acidity) were varied in order to obtain different semiconductor nanopowders with diverse physico-chemical properties and, hence, photocatalytic performances. Both the disappearance and the mineralization of the pollutant molecule were followed by Linear Sweep Voltammetry and Total Organic Carbon techniques, respectively. Photocatalysis by-products were then identified by HPLC–MS (on eluates, after 3 h and 6 h) and ATR-FTIR (on used nanopowders) analyses. Thus, a new photodegradation pathway (with azo dimer derivatives in the first step) has been proposed. Bi-impregnated samples show high degree of mineralization, reducing the stability of the intermediates.
KW - Bismuth doping
KW - o-Toluidine
KW - Photodegradation mechanism
KW - Photoremoval
KW - Zinc oxide nanoparticles
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2016.10.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2016.10.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84989887820
VL - 332
SP - 534
EP - 545
JO - Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
JF - Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
SN - 1010-6030
ER -