Sonocatalytic degradation of Acid Blue 92 using sonochemically prepared samarium doped zinc oxide nanostructures

• Application of Sm-doped ZnO nanoparticles in the sonocatalytic process.
• Sonocatalytic activity evaluation by degradation of Acid Blue 92.
• Investigation of the main operational parameters effect on sonocatalysis.
• Kinetic modeling of the degradation process with nonlinear regression analysis.

Pure and Sm-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized applying a simple sonochemical method. The nanocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques which confirmed the successful synthesis of the doped sonocatalyst. The sonocatalytic degradation of Acid Blue 92 (AB92), a model azo dye, was more than that with sonolysis alone. The 6% Sm-doped ZnO nanoparticles had a band gap of 2.8 eV and demonstrated the highest activity. The degradation efficiency (DE%) of sonolysis and sonocatalysis with undoped ZnO and 6% Sm-doped ZnO was 45.73%, 63.9%, and 90.10%, after 150 min of treatment, respectively. Sonocatalytic degradation of AB92 is enhanced with increasing the dopant amount and catalyst dosage and with decreasing the initial AB29 concentration. DE% declines with the addition of radical scavengers such as chloride, carbonate, sulfate, and tert-butanol. However, the addition of enhancers including potassium periodates, peroxydisulfate, and hydrogen peroxide improves DE% by producing more free radicals. The results show adequate reusability of the doped sonocatalyst. Degradation intermediates were recognized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Using nonlinear regression analysis, an empirical kinetic model was developed to estimate the pseudo-first-order constants (kapp) as a function of the main operational parameters, including the initial dye concentration, sonocatalyst dosage, and ultrasonic power.

Sonocatalytic process application in the presence of Sm-doped ZnO to degradation of AB92 as model pollutant.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide