TY - JOUR
T1 - Multi-dimensional zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoarchitectures as efficient photocatalysts
T2 - What is the fundamental factor that determines photoactivity in ZnO?
AU - Chang, Jang Sen
AU - Strunk, Jennifer
AU - Chong, Meng Nan
AU - Poh, Phaik Eong
AU - Ocon, Joey D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2020/1/5
Y1 - 2020/1/5
N2 - While bulk zinc oxide (ZnO) is of non-toxic in nature, ZnO nanoarchitectures could potentially induce the macroscopic characteristics of oxidative, lethality and toxicity in the water environment. Here we report a systematic study through state-of-the-art controllable synthesis of multi-dimensional ZnO nanoarchitectures (i.e. 0D-nanoparticle, 1D-nanorod, 2D-nanosheet, and 3D-nanoflowers), and subsequent in-depth understanding on the fundamental factor that determines their photoactivities. The photoactivities of resultant ZnO nanoarchitectures were interpreted in terms of the photodegradation of salicylic acid as well as inactivation of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli under UV-A irradiation. Photodegradation results showed that 1D-ZnO nanorods demonstrated the highest salicylic acid photodegradation efficiency (99.4%) with a rate constant of 0.0364 min−1. 1D-ZnO nanorods also exhibited the highest log reductions of B. subtilis and E. coli of 3.5 and 4.2, respectively. Through physicochemical properties standardisation, an intermittent higher k value for pore diameter (0.00097 min−1 per mm), the highest k values for crystallite size (0.00171 min−1 per nm) and specific surface area (0.00339 min−1 per m2/g) contributed to the exceptional photodegradation performance of nanorods. Whereas, the average normalised log reduction against the physicochemical properties of nanorods (i.e. low crystallite size, high specific surface area and pore diameter) caused the strongest bactericidal effect.
AB - While bulk zinc oxide (ZnO) is of non-toxic in nature, ZnO nanoarchitectures could potentially induce the macroscopic characteristics of oxidative, lethality and toxicity in the water environment. Here we report a systematic study through state-of-the-art controllable synthesis of multi-dimensional ZnO nanoarchitectures (i.e. 0D-nanoparticle, 1D-nanorod, 2D-nanosheet, and 3D-nanoflowers), and subsequent in-depth understanding on the fundamental factor that determines their photoactivities. The photoactivities of resultant ZnO nanoarchitectures were interpreted in terms of the photodegradation of salicylic acid as well as inactivation of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli under UV-A irradiation. Photodegradation results showed that 1D-ZnO nanorods demonstrated the highest salicylic acid photodegradation efficiency (99.4%) with a rate constant of 0.0364 min−1. 1D-ZnO nanorods also exhibited the highest log reductions of B. subtilis and E. coli of 3.5 and 4.2, respectively. Through physicochemical properties standardisation, an intermittent higher k value for pore diameter (0.00097 min−1 per mm), the highest k values for crystallite size (0.00171 min−1 per nm) and specific surface area (0.00339 min−1 per m2/g) contributed to the exceptional photodegradation performance of nanorods. Whereas, the average normalised log reduction against the physicochemical properties of nanorods (i.e. low crystallite size, high specific surface area and pore diameter) caused the strongest bactericidal effect.
KW - Photocatalytic deactivation
KW - Photocatalytic degradation
KW - Physicochemical properties
KW - Wastewater treatment
KW - ZnO nanoarchitectures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070365582&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120958
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120958
M3 - Article
C2 - 31416043
AN - SCOPUS:85070365582
SN - 0304-3894
VL - 381
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
M1 - 120958
ER -