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 synthesized by precipitation-cum-sol gel method. The photocatalytic activity of (ZnS-TiO2) has been investigated for the degradation of phenol red sodium salt in aqueous solution using UV-A light. In presence of ZnS, there is a shift in the absorbance of TiO2 in both UV and visible region. ZnS-TiO2 is found to be more efficient than bare TiO2, TiO2-P25 and ZnS at pH 6.5 for mineralization of 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 has been confirmed by COD measurements. Mechanism of degradation by ZnS-TiO2 is proposed. The catalyst is found to be reusable.