Visible Light Induced Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Dye Over ZnO Modified α-Fe2O3 Nanocomposites

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to synthesize Zinc (Zn) modified hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanocomposites with varying concentrations (pure, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, and 20 wt%) via the modified sol-gel method. The influence of dopants on structural and optical properties and photocatalytic activity of hematite was studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of synthesized samples was indexed to rhombohedral hematite with a crystallite size of 15–25 nm. Moreover, these materials were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface morphology of prepared nanoparticles was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The specific surface area of the solids was calculated by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. Photocatalytic properties of nanoparticles were performed for methylene blue (MB) dye and showed effective degradation in the presence of UV light. Hence, Zn2+ doped hematite can be considered an efficient material for potential applications as a photocatalyst. Zn-doped hematite is developed as a superior photocatalyst for the degradation of MB dye in the presence of UV light.