Nd doped ZrO<inf>2</inf> photocatalyst for organic pollutants degradation in wastewater

Abstract

Wastewater management is the most discussed topic in this current era. To overcome the scarcity of water and wastewater treatment, reusage of water is the convenient way. By removing the organic pollutants, the water can be reused for domestic purposes. Pure and neodymium (Nd) doped ZrO2 was produced using facile co-precipitation technique. Along with doping, surfactant was also included to enhance the morphology of the prepared samples. The nanoparticles morphology was formed with less agglomeration as investigated by TEM analysis. The photocatalytic action was further examined using annular photoreactor. Both methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes degradation was examined. Neodymium doped ZrO2 was incorporated in the dye under visible light for 2 h. The light was irradiated for 20 min and sample solution was collected for every 20 min. The samples were analyzed for UV and degradation was confirmed. The enhancement of catalyst depended on the bandgap of the samples. The absorption peak for Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue dyes at 553 and 664 nm was decreased and confirmed the degradation of dyes. 2% Nd doped ZrO2 catalyst added MB dye sample showed 90% efficiency and exhibited 77% efficiency on Rhodamine B pollutant. The “k” values of 2% Nd doped ZrO2 was obtained as 0.0144 min−1 and 0.00944 min−1 for MB and RhB dyes. This candidate will be the potential one for futuristic water remediation process.