(337e) Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Malachite Green By Visible Light Sensitive ZnO/ZrO2 Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles

The large energy band gap of TiO₂ permits activation only in the UV portion of the solar radiation. To obtain visible light sensitive material ZnO/ZrO₂ doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol-gel method using Pluronic 123 surfactant. The structure and surface morphology of the photocatalyst was studied using X-ray diffraction, HRTEM, BET and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photodegradation rates of malachite green (MG) in solar radiation using the ZnO/ZrO₂/TiO₂ and P-25 TiO₂ were compared. Effect of pH, catalyst load and dye concentration on the photoconversion efficiency were determined. The degradation products were identified by GC-MS. The toxicity of the degradation products were tested using E.coli.