Synthesis of ternary zinc spinel oxides and their application in the photodegradation of organic pollutant

Ternary zinc spinel oxides such as Zn2SnO4, ZnAl2O4 and ZnFe2O4 were synthesized and characterized, and their activities in the photodegradation of phenol molecules were investigated. Zn2SnO4, ZnAl2O4 and ZnFe2O4 powders were synthesized by hydrothermal, metal–chitosan complexation and solvothermal routes, respectively. The face-centered cubic spinel structure of each material was confirmed by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and its porous structure by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms. The characterization of spinels was complemented with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-rays fluorescence (XRF), revealing the formation of spinel structures with high purity. The photocatalytic activity in the degradation of phenol was observed only with Zn2SnO4 oxide. Mineralization degree of phenol molecules by Zn2SnO4 photocatalyst determined by total organic carbon analysis (TOC) reached 80% at 360 min under sunlight.