Supported versus colloidal zinc oxide for advanced oxidation processes

• Photocatalysis is a green technology which typically utilizes either supported or colloidal catalysts for the mineralization of aqueous organic contaminants. Catalyst surface area and surface energy are the primary factors determining its efficiency, but correlation between the two is still unclear. This work explores their relation and hierarchy in a photocatalytic process involving both supported and colloidal catalysts. In order to do this the active surface areas of supported zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NR's) and colloidal zinc oxide nanoparticles (having different surface energies) were equalized and their phenol oxidation mechanism and capacity was analyzed. It was observed that while surface energy had subtle effects on the oxidation rate of the catalysts, the degradation efficiency was primarily a function of the surface area; which makes it a better parameter for comparison when studying different catalyst forms of the same material. Thus we build a case for the use of supported catalysts, wherein their catalytic efficiency was tested to be unaltered over several days under both natural and artificial light, suggesting their viability for practical applications.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Phenol degradation

Photocatalysis

Supported catalysts

Surface area

Zinc oxide

Biodegradation

Catalysis

Catalysts

Degradation

Energy efficiency

Interfacial energy

Nanorods

Oxidation

Phenols

Zinc

Advanced Oxidation Processes

Catalytic efficiencies

Degradation efficiency

Photocatalytic process

Zinc oxide nanoparticles

Zinc oxide nanorods

Catalyst supports

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)