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In this work, zinc oxide powders were obtained by two different techniques: hydro- and solvothermal synthesis starting from Zn(NO3)2 and Zn(CH3COO)2, respectively. The influence of synthetic procedure on the structural, microstructural, thermal and photocatalytic properties of the prepared ZnO powders was investigated. Both ZnO samples were further annealed at moderate conditions (300?C) to avoid grain growth and to remove traces of impurities. In all four cases a single-phase hexagonal ZnO was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction. The morphology of prepared ZnO powders was different and it varied from rounded nanograins to microrods. All prepared samples showed higher photocatalytic efficiency in degradation of textile azo-dye Reactive Orange 16(RO16) than the commercial ZnO. In addition, the non-annealed samples had better photocatalytic properties than the commercial Degussa P25 TiO2 powder. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III45007, br. ON171032 i br. ON172013]

In this work, Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 • 2 H 2 O with AgNO 3 content from 0 to 6 mol% was solvothermally treated at 120°C for 18 h in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), ethylene glycol and sodium hydroxide. The structural, microstructural and photocatalytic properties of the unmodified and Ag modified ZnO powders have been investigated by the XRPD, FESEM, TEM, UV-vis, Raman and BET techniques. The Ag modified samples consist of ZnO nanocrystals and metallic Ag on the surface. The average crystallite size of all samples was about 20 nm. The FESEM revealed the uniformity in size and approximately spherical shape of ZnO nanoparticles. The BET data suggest that all prepared samples are mesoporous. All prepared samples showed higher photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of the Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) azo dye than the commercial ZnO. In addition, Ag modified ZnO powders, especially those with 1.5 and 0.75 mol% of Ag, were more efficient than the unmodified one.

The titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopowders were produced by sol-gel technique from tetrabutyl titanate as a precursor, varying the temperature ?f calcination (from 500 to 550?C with the step of 10 ?C). XRPD results have shown that all synthesized nanopowders are dominantly in anatase phase. The analysis of the shift and linewidth of the most intensive anatase Eg Raman mode confirmed the XRPD results and added the presence of small amount of highly disordered brookite phase in all samples. The analysis of pore structure from nitrogen sorption experimental data described all samples as mesoporous, with mean pore diameters in the range of 1.5 and 4.5 nm. Nanopowder properties have been related to the photocatalytic activity, tested in degradation of the textile dye (C.I. Reactive Orange 16). The sample calcined at temperature of 510?C showed the best photocatalytic performance. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III45018 i br. OI171032]