Monocrotophos pesticide effectively removed by novel visible light driven Cu doped ZnO photocatalyst

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. A, Chemistry. Chemistry., 2019-09, Vol.382, p.111923, Article 111923
• Main Authors: Hanh, Nguyen Thi, Le Minh Tri, Nguyen, Van Thuan, Doan, Thanh Tung, Mai Hung, Pham, Thanh-Dong, Minh, Tran Dinh, Trang, Hoang Thu, Binh, Mai Thien, Nguyen, Minh Viet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadmium; Carbon dioxide; Conduction; Conduction bands; Copper; Cu dopant; Monocrotophos; Monocrotophos pesticide; Oxides; Pesticides; pH effects; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Photocatalytic degradation; Photodegradation; Pollutant removal; Radiation; Recombination; Synthesis; Valence band; Visible radiation; Zinc oxide; ZnO
• ISSN: 1010-6030; 1873-2666
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2019.111923

[Display omitted] •Successfully doped Cu into ZnO lattice to enhance its photocatalytic activity.•Cu dopant prevented recombination of photo-excited e− and h+ of the ZnO.•The Cu-ZnO exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation of monocrotophos pesticide.•The optimal mole ratio of Cu/ZnO in the Cu-ZnO for degradation of monocrotophos was 3%.•The optimal pH for the photocatalytic degradation of monocrotophos was pH 7. In the work, we successfully synthesized Cu doped ZnO materials for photocatalytic degradation of monocrotophos pesticide (MCP). The used Cu metal doped into the ZnO matrix created an intermediate band to excite electron from valence band (VB) to conduction band (CD) of the ZnO leading to increase in optical absorption, decrease in band gap as well as photocatalytic performance of the material. Hence, the synthesized photocatalyst showed intense activity for photocatalytic degradation of MCP into CO2, H2O and harmless inorganic ions even under visible radiation. We also investigated that the 3Cu-ZnO photocatalyst, which the weight ratio of Cu/ZnO was 3 wt%, showed the highest MCP degradation efficiency among these synthesized Cu-ZnO. The excess dopants tended to form CuO existing on ZnO surface. The formed CuO acted as a center for recombination of produced electrons and holes resulted in decrease in photocatalytic performance of the Cu-ZnO. Finally, we investigated that the optimal pH for the degradation of MCP by the synthesized Cu doped ZnO photocatalyst was pH 7.