Sains Malaysiana 47(2)(2018): 253-259

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4702-06

 

Cr2O3 Nanoparticles Anchored on ZnO Nanorods as Active Heterostructure Catalysts for Phenol Degradation  

(Zarah Nano Cr2O3 Bergabung pada Rod Nano ZnO sebagai Pemangkin Heterostruktur Aktif untuk Degradasi Fenol)

 

Sze-Mun Lam1*, Jin-Chung Sin2 & Abdul Rahman Mohamed3

 

1Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar,

Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia

 

2Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar,

Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia

 

3School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus

Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang,Malaysia

 

Received: 25 March 2017/Accepted: 1 August 2017

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

With the rapid civilization and industrialization, water pollution is becoming more and more intricate. Heterogeneous photocatalysis using metal oxide loaded ZnO nanorods is a well-known environmental technology to degrade toxic organic pollutants. In this study, Cr2O3 particles anchored on the ZnO nanorods (Cr2O3/ZnO) were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal-deposition technique. Microscopic and crystallographic analyses indicated that the synthesized samples consisted of two-phase heterostructure of Cr2O3 and ZnO. The photocatalytic results showed that the phenol degradation by Cr2O3 /ZnO heterostructures was higher than those of pure ZnO and commercial TiO2. The synergetic effect between Cr2O3 and ZnO was the pivotal reason for the improvement of photoactivity as proven by the photoluminescence and terephthalic acid–photoluminescence analyses.

 

Keywords: Cr2O3; nanocomposite; phenol; photocatalysis; ZnO nanorod

 


ABSTRAK

Dengan pertamadunan dan perindustrian yang pesat, isu alam sekitar seperti pencemaran air menjadi semakin rumit. Fotopemangkinan heterogen menggunakan logam oksida digabungkan rod nano ZnO adalah teknologi alam sekitar yang terkenal untuk degradasi bahan pencemar organik toksik. Dalam kajian ini, heterostruktur Cr2O3/ZnO dengan zarah Cr2O3 berpasang pada rod nano ZnO telah berjaya disintesis oleh teknik hidroterma-pemendapan. Analisis mikroskopik dan kristalografi menunjukkan bahawa sampel yang disintesis terdiri daripada dua fasa berheterostruktur Cr2O3 dan ZnO. Keputusan fotopemangkinan menunjukkan bahawa degradasi fenol oleh heterostruktur Cr2O3/ZnO adalah lebih tinggi berbanding dengan ZnO tulen dan TiO2 komersial. Kesan sinergi di antara Cr2O3 dan ZnO adalah sebab utama peningkatan aktiviti pemfotomangkinan seperti yang dibuktikan oleh analisa fotoluminasi dan asid tereftalik-fotoluminasi. 

 

Kata kunci: Cr2O3; fenol; fotopemangkinan; komposit nano; rod nano ZnO

 

 

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*Corresponding author; email: lamsm@utar.edu.my

 

 

 

 

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