Photocatalytic Properties of Mechano chemically Synthesized Nanocrystalline ZnAl_2O_4 and CdSe

摘要

Nanocrystalline powders of ZnAl_2O_4 and CdSe were prepared via mechanochemical synthesis. Powder slurries were coated as thin films on SiO_2 thin layer chromatography (TLC) sheet by capillary method. The photocatalytic activity of the film coating was tested in a self-made gas-phase flat-plate continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor with toluene as model air contaminant. The tested nanocrystalline ZnAl_2O_4 turned out to be poor oxidation photocatalyst under UV irradiation. CdSe displays considerable photocatalytic activity under visible light, where TiO_2 is inactive. The nonconventional one-step mechanochemical route to ZnAl_2O_4 and CdSe synthesis offers several advantages compared to traditional processing routes, including low-temperature solid state reactions at ambient temperature, absence of organic templates contamination and low expenses.