Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic application of ZnS-Ag composites based on biomass-derived carbon aerogel for the visible light degradation of methylene blue

AbstractA facile and cost-effective hydrothermal followed by precipitation method is employed to synthesize visible light-driven ZnS-Ag ternary composites supported on carbon aerogel (CA). Extensive studies were conducted on the structural, morphological, and optical properties, confirming the successful formation of ternary nanocomposites. The obtained results evidently demonstrate the successful loading of ZnS and Ag onto the surface of the CA. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that ZnS and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were uniformly distributed on the surface of the CA with an average diameter of 18  nm. The biomass-derived CA, containing a hierarchical porous nano-architecture and an abundant number of –NH2 functional groups on the surface, can greatly prevent the agglomeration, stability and reduce particle size. Brunauer –Emmett–Teller analysis results indicated specific surface areas of 4.62 m2 g−1 for the CA, 48.50  m2 g−1 for the CA/ZnS composite, and 62.62  m2 g−1 for the CA/ZnS-Ag composite. These values demonstrate an increase in surface area upon the incorporation of ZnS and Ag into the CA matrix. Under visible light irradiation, the synthesized CA/ZnS-Ag composites displayed remarkably improved photodegradation efficiency of methylene blue (MB). Among the tested samples, the CA/ZnS-Ag composites exhibited the highest percentage of photodegradation efficiency, surpassing ZnS, CA, and CA/ZnS. The obtained percentages...
Source: Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research