Highly active ZnS loaded TiO2 photocatalyst for mineralization of phenol red sodium salt under UV-A light

摘要

ZnS loaded TiO2(ZnS-TiO2) has been successfully synthesizedby precipitation-cum-sol gel method. The photocatalytic activity of (ZnS-TiO2)has been investigated for the degradation of phenol red sodium salt in aqueoussolution using UV-A light. In presence of ZnS, there is a shift in theabsorbance of TiO2 in both UV and visible region. ZnS-TiO2is found to be more efficient than bare TiO2, TiO2-P25and ZnS at pH 6.5 for mineralizationof the dye under UV-A light. The effects of operational parameters such as the amount of photocatalyst and dye concentration on photomineralization of the dye have been analyzed. The mineralization hasbeen confirmed by COD measurements. Mechanism of degradation by ZnS-TiO2 isproposed. The catalyst is found to be reusable.