Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO-Biochar Hybrid Composites

• Main Authors: J. Matos, R. Montana, E. Rivero, J. Velasco, G. Ledezma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: al-Farabi Kazakh National University 2014-11-01
• Series: Eurasian Chemico-Technological Journal
• Online Access: http://ect-journal.kz/index.php/ectj/article/view/251

Photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) was studied on ZnO in presence of home-made biochars prepared by different methods. MB photodegradation was performed under UV-visible irradiation to verify the scaling-up of ZnO-AC hybrid materials. It was verified that oxygenated surface groups on carbon were photochemically active in the photodegradation of MB and a synergy effect between both solids has been estimated from the first-order apparent rate-constants. This effect enhances the photoactivity of ZnO up to a factor about 2.5 and the difference in photoactivity in the binary materials was associated to the surface properties of AC.