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. 2020 Sep 30;13(19):4357.
doi: 10.3390/ma13194357.

Photodegradation of Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B Using Laser-Synthesized ZnO Nanoparticles

Damjan Blažeka  1 , Julio Car  1 , Nikola Klobučar  1 , Andrea Jurov  2   3 , Janez Zavašnik  2 , Andrea Jagodar  4 , Eva Kovačević  4 , Nikša Krstulović  1
Affiliations

Photodegradation of Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B Using Laser-Synthesized ZnO Nanoparticles

Damjan Blažeka et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

In this paper we examined the photocatalytic efficiency of a laser-synthesized colloidal solution of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in water. The average size of the obtained colloidal ZnO nanoparticles is about 47 nm. As revealed by electron microscopy, other nanostructures were also present in the colloidal solution, especially nanosheets. A photocatalytic degradation of UV-irradiated Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B solutions of different concentration in the presence of different ZnO catalyst mass concentrations was studied in order to examine their influence on photodegradation rates. ZnO nanoparticles have shown high photocatalytic efficiency, which is limited due to different effects related to UV light transmittivity through the colloidal solution. Therefore, increasing catalyst concentration is effective way to increase photocatalytic efficiency up to some value where photodegradation rate saturation occurs. The photodegradation rate increases as the dye concentration decreases. These findings are important for water purification applications of laser-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles.

Keywords: Methylene Blue; Rhodamine B; ZnO nanoparticles; photocatalysis; pulsed laser ablation in water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Semi-profile of a crater left after ablation in ZnO target (x–y axes are not to scale).
Figure 2
Figure 2
SE-SEM micrographs, (a) overview of synthesized nanoparticles and nanostructures and (b) detailed view of spherical ZnO nanoparticles.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Size distribution of ZnO nanoparticles.
Figure 4
Figure 4
SE-SEM micrographs of (a) individual spherical ZnO nanoparticles showing structured morphology; and (b) large nano-sheets, covered by nano-sized particles.
Figure 5
Figure 5
XRD pattern of ZnO.
Figure 6
Figure 6
High resolution XPS spectra of ZnO with fit spectra for (a) Zn 2p3/2 and (b) O 1s.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Photoabsorption spectrum of ZnO colloidal solution; Inset: Tauc plot for direct bandgap calculation.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Photocatalytic degradation of (a) MB and (b) RB in as-prepared ZnO solution.
Figure 9
Figure 9
ln(C/C0) vs. t plot for (a) MB and (b) RB at different ZnONP concentrations.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Photodegradation rates of (a) MB and (b) RB vs. ZnONP catalyst mass concentration for different initial dye concentrations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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