Visible-Light Photocatalysts of ZrO2/AgCl:Eu3+ Nanoparticles.

Authors :: van Huan, Pham
Tam, Phuong Dinh
Pham, Vuong-Hung
Source :: Journal of Electronic Materials; Aug2019, Vol. 48 Issue 8, p5294-5300, 7p
Publication Year :: 2019
Abstract: This paper reports the visible-light photocatalysts and luminescence quenching of ZrO<subscript>2</subscript>/AgCl:Eu<superscript>3+</superscript> nanoparticles synthesized by the co-precipitation method as a function of AgCl concentration. XRD analysis indicated the presence of crystalline tetragonal ZrO<subscript>2</subscript> and an AgCl phase. The synthesized ZrO<subscript>2</subscript>/AgCl:Eu<superscript>3+</superscript> nanoparticles were observed to have a spherical morphology with diameters of ∼ 20 nm. The photocatalyst with 2.5% mole fractions of AgCl showed effective degradation of methylene blue under visible light with the decolorization percentage reaching ∼ 95% in 180 min. The red emission of Eu<superscript>3+</superscript> in the ZrO<subscript>2</subscript>/AgCl:Eu<superscript>3+</superscript> nanoparticles decreased with increasing AgCl mole fraction. Visible-light photocatalysts of ZrO<subscript>2</subscript>/AgCl:Eu<superscript>3+</superscript> nanoparticles can be attributed to the presence of AgCl resulting in higher photoexcited charges separation, which can be confirmed by lower luminescence intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]