Method of photodegrading dyes
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsIbrahim Khan, Muhammad Ashraf, Nadeem Baig, A. H. Hendi
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Abstract
A hybrid photoactive heterojunction including a copper vanadate, Cu2V2O7 (CVO) and a zinc vanadate, Zn2V2O6 (ZVO). Particles of the ZVO are dispersed in particles of the CVO to form the hybrid photoactive heterojunction. The hybrid photoactive heterojunction in the form of a photoactive film includes a substrate which is at least partially coated with the hybrid photoactive heterojunction. A method of photodegrading a dye includes contacting the photoactive film and the dye in a solution and exposing the solution to light. A method of photoelectrochemically oxidizing water includes contacting the photoactive film with water in a solution and exposing the solution to light.
Claims13
A method of photodegrading a dye, the method comprising:
- contacting a photoactive film and the dye in a solution;
- and
- exposing the solution to light,
- wherein the photoactive film comprises:
- a hybrid photoactive heterojunction, comprising:
- copper vanadate, Cu2V2O7 (CVO);
- zinc vanadate, Zn2V2O6 (ZVO) wherein particles of the ZVO are dispersed in particles of the CVO to form the hybrid photoactive heterojunction;
- and
- a substrate, wherein the substrate is at least partially coated with the hybrid photon-dye heterojunction.
A method of photoelectrochemically splitting water, comprising:
- contacting a photoactive film with water to form a solution;
- and
- exposing the solution to light to form oxygen and hydrogen,
- wherein the photoactive film comprises:
- a hybrid photoactive heterojunction, comprising:
- copper vanadate, Cu2V2O7 (CVO);
- zinc vanadate, Zn2V2O6 (ZVO), wherein particles of the ZVO are dispersed in particles of the CVO to form the hybrid photoactive heterojunction;
- and
- a substrate, wherein the substrate is at least partially coated with the hybrid photoactive heterojunction.
A method of making a hybrid photoactive heterojunction containing copper vanadate Cu2V2O7 (CVO) and zinc vanadate Zn2V2O6 (ZVO), the method comprising:
- mixing a vanadate salt with a copper (II) salt for making CVO and a zinc salt for making ZVO, in a polar protic solvent to form a mixture;
- wherein the weight ratio of V to Zn or Cu is 1:1-2 based on the total weight of V and Zn or Cu;
- adding to the mixture a surfactant in a 1:3-6 surfactant to Zn or Cu weight ratio based on the total weight of surfactant and Zn or Cu to form a reaction solution;
- sonicating the reaction solution for at least 20-50 minutes at a temperature of 40-60° C. to form a sonicated solution;
- heating the sonicated solution in an autoclave at a temperature of 100-140° C. for 10-20 hours to form a product solution;
- filtering;
- washing with a polar aprotic solvent, and drying the product solution at a temperature of 40-60° C. to obtain a product;
- and
- calcining the product at a temperature of 200-600° C. to form the hybrid photoactive heterojunction,
- wherein particles of the ZVO are dispersed in particles of the CVO,
- wherein the ZVO is in the form of substantially ovoid shaped tablet nanoparticles having an average length of 200-400 nm, an average width of 100-300 nm, and an average thickness of 50-150 nm;
- the CVO is in the form of layered nanosheets having an average thickness of 30-50 nm and an average spacing of 100-300 nm between layers;
- at least a portion of the ZVO nanoparticles penetrate between the layers of the CVO;
- and
- at least a portion of the ZVO nanoparticles are on top of the layers of the CVO.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.