Core-shell Nanostructures for Water Purification

Zinc oxide-coated alpha-phase ferric oxide particles can be used for water purification purposes

Semiconductor photocatalytic processes have shown great potential as a water treatment technology. This methodology can be used to remove persistent organic compounds and micro-organisms that are found in water, and it has been demonstrated widely. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a promising material for this technology as it has high photocatalytic activity, a low cost, and is environmentally friendly. There are, however, some drawbacks to the use of photocatalytic semiconductors that limit their application for large-scale photocatalytic processes. First, they have a high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Second, the catalyst particles exhibit poor recovery after water treatment.

We have conducted a series of UV irradiation tests on novel ZnO-coated Fe2O3 core-shell nanostructures. Our results show that these substances are promising candidates for photocatalytic applications (e.g., for water treatment and purification). We are now planning to study the degradation of MB as a function of the thickness of the ZnO coating. The results of these experiments will be used to optimize the photocatalytic activity of our synthesized nanostructures. We are also planning to investigate the antibacterial activity of our materials against Escherichia coli , which is a common indicator of fecal contamination in water.

Source: SPIE

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Taxonomy

• Photocatalysis
• Purification
• Water Purification
• Nanotechnology
• Nanofiltration
• Modeling & Software
• Photocatalyst