Structure, Adsorptive and Photocatalytic Properties of Porous ZnO Nanopowders Modified by Oxide Compounds of Manganese

Abstract

Porous nanocomposites based on oxide compounds of zinc and manganese are synthesized and their structure, morphology, spectral and photocatalytic properties are studied. It is shown that the resulting porous oxide composites have photocatalytic properties and consist of ZnO, Mn3O4 and ZnMn2O4 nanocrystals with a size of 20–40 nm. The introduction of Mn2+ ions into the crystal lattice of ZnO causes a increase in the size of the unit cell of crystals. The band gap of the composites is 3.26 eV. The kinetics of photocatalytic decomposition in a Chicago Blue Sky dye solution is described by a pseudo-first order equation. In the presence of porous nanocomposites, the processes of oxidation of organic compounds proceed both on the surface of photocatalysts and in solution. The synthesized nanocomposites are promising for use in photocatalytic systems for water purification from organic contaminants.