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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Photocatalytic activity of binary and ternary SnO2–ZnO–ZnWO4 nanocomposites

Leonardo PalmisanoAbdessalem HamrouniAbdessalem HamrouniFrancesco ParrinoAmmar HouasAmmar HouasAgatino Di PaolaNoomen Moussa

subject

NanocompositeChemistryGeneral Chemical EngineeringChemistry (all)Inorganic chemistrySnO<inf>2</inf>-ZnO-ZnWO<inf>4</inf> nanocompositeGeneral Physics and AstronomyHeterojunctionGeneral ChemistryDecompositionCatalysisPhysics and Astronomy (all)PhotocatalysiChemical engineeringPhotocatalysisCoupled semiconductorChemical Engineering (all)Partial oxidationTernary operationSol-gel methodSol-gel

description

Binary and ternary SnO2-ZnO-ZnWO4 nanocomposites were prepared by a sol-gel route. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated through the decomposition of 4-nitrophenol and partial oxidation of 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol to p-anisaldehyde. All the mixed catalysts revealed higher photoactivity than bare ZnO, SnO2 or ZnWO4 and the best performances were exhibited by the binary nanocomposites. The high photocatalytic activity was explained by the presence of heterojunctions among different semiconductors that enhance the separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, hindering their recombination. As a general consideration, an essential role was played by the electronic features of the samples in the degradation reactions whereas the surface properties were key factors for the selective formation of p-anisaldehyde.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2015-08-01Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2015.05.001