ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Utilization of metallurgical waste for the preparation of photocatalytically active composites based on ZnO–graphene oxide

Radim Škuta, Bruno Kostura, Šárka Langová, Michal Ritz, Kryštof Foniok, Soňa Študentová, Jiří Pavlovský, Vlastimil Novák, and Dalibor Matýsek

Department of Chemistry, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic

E-mail: radim.skuta@vsb.cz

Received: 17 October 2020  Accepted: 26 March 2021

Abstract:

Steel sludge was used as a source of technical zinc oxide (ZnO_L) for the preparation of ZnO–graphene oxide (ZnO_L–GO) composite with photocatalytic effects. The specific surface of the manufactured product was determined by S^BET method, and structural analysis was performed by FTIR spectroscopy. The photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO_L–GO composite was studied using optical methods (UV–Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence). The obtained results were confronted with a model composite prepared from pure components. It was found that the prepared ZnO_L–GO composite showed excellent photodegradation activities against the azo dye Acid Orange 7 in comparison with the model composite. The presence of other metal oxides in ZnO_L in conjunction with GO causes a significant increase in the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared composite material, which can be explained by the modification of the electronic structure and more efficient separation of charge carriers. The obtained results show new possibilities in the field of processing and further use of metallurgical waste.

Keywords: Steel sludge; Acidic leaching; Photocatalytic degradation; GO–ZnO composites

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01628-5

Chemical Papers 75 (8) 3891–3900 (2021)