Co-Precipitation as a Tool for Effective Doping of Magnesium in Zinc Oxide: Studies on Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Elimination of toxic compounds from our essential commodities such as water, air, foods etc. and provision for safe and clean basic needs is currently one of the most significant international topics for research, especially in food, water and air pollution control. Metal oxides have emerged as one of the most interesting materials in the current period owing to their potential catalytic properties. The II-VI metal oxides are gaining considerable attention in optoelectronics and in rectifying environmental issues due to their ability to produce charge carriers when accelerated with a sufficient amount of energy. The electronic structure, fluorescence and phosphorescence properties and charge transport abilities of the metal oxides have made them photo catalysts. In this paper, we report a precise investigation of structural, optical and photo catalytic properties of industrially and technologically important ZnO and MgxZn(1-x)O nanoparticles. The materials were synthesized via chemical methods using solutions of zinc sulphate, sodium hydroxide, silver nitrate and magnesium sulphate. The structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized samples were studied using X-ray diffractometer and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The average crystallite size of the prepared samples is between 15 to 20 nm. The optical band value of the ZnO nanoparticles was found 3.3 eV. The photocatalytic studies were conducted using an in-house built assembly and photocatalytic degradation of Cr was chosen as a reference. The synthesized MgxZn(1-x)O has been observed as an excellent photocatalyst, and shown promising results for the degradation of Cr(VI).

Preparation and characterisation of nickel oxide and nickel oxide codoped with magnesium and zinc

“…A microcidal, non-cytotoxic and free radical scavenging composite was reported based on opaline silica [14]. Zinc oxide doped with magnesium was studied for its structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties [15]. A detailed report is available on the investigation of synthesis, structural and optical properties of zinc oxide doped with manganese [16].…”

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO from Thermal Decomposition of Precipitated Zinc Oxalate Dihydrate as an Anode Material of Li-Ion Batteries

“…Based on synthesis perspective, homogeneous ZnO particles are easily obtained by simple deposition of a solution containing zinc ions followed by precipitate thermal decomposition. Several precipitating agents can be used directly, such as sodium hydroxide, which forms zinc hydroxide [10,11], carbonate salts that produce zinc carbonate, and oxalic acid or other oxalic salts that produce zinc oxalate [12,13]. Based on these chemicals, precipitants containing oxalate are preferred because the precipitation process takes a short time, with high crystalline properties, which is easily separated from the solution and requires less energy to be thermally decomposed to ZnO.…”

Modification of Cellulose with ZnO Nanoparticles: From Sugarcane Bagasse to Antimicrobial CompositeZnO

“…But cellulose does not show any antimicrobial activity due to its neutral properties; however, considerable efforts have been made to modify cellulose with different organic and inorganic NPs, such as ZnO, TiO2, CuO, and Ag to incorporate antimicrobial properties [10]. ZnO is a wide band gap (Eg  3.37 eV) semiconductor metal oxide with potential application in catalytic, electrical, photochemical and optical fields [11]. It assumes a significant role in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to the antimicrobial role of ZnO NPs by damaging the protective layer and plasma membranes of microbes, such as E. coli and S. aureus [12].…”