Effects of Crystallinity and Particle Size on Photocatalytic Performance of ZrTiO4 Nanostructured Powders

• Main Authors: Le, Thi Mai Oanh, Dang, Thu Ha, Man, Minh Hue, Lam, Thi Hang, Dao, Viet Thang, Nguyen,Manh Hung, Doan, Thuy Phuong, Nguyen, Van Minh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội 2017
• Subjects: Nanopowder; Photocatalytic; RhB; Crystalline; Amorphous
• Online Access: http://repository.vnu.edu.vn/handle/VNU_123/55801
• Institution: Vietnam National University, Hanoi

The crystallinity, surface morphology, optical property and photocatalytic performance of ZrTiO4 nanostructured powders synthesized by sol-gel method at various calcining temperatures were investigated by XRD, FE-SEM, and absorption measurements, respectively. XRD analysis showed that ZrTiO4 began crystallizing at about 600 °C. The crystallinity increased with increasing calcining temperature. According to FE-SEM images, amorphous particles of nearly 10 nm in size with relatively sphere morphology were formed after a heat treatment of the ZrTiO4 gel at 450 °C for 3 hours. The crystalline particle size increased gradually to 20, 50, and 100 nm when the calcining temperature increased to 800, 900, and 1000 °C, respectively. The UV-Vis absorption spectra indicated a slight broadening of optical band gap with increasing calcining temperature. Photodegradation performance of Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution via ZrTiO4 nanopowders which occurred under the illumination of a Xenon lamp have showed that the ZrTiO4 sample treated at 800 °C exhibited the largest efficiency of the photocatalytic performance.