Photodegradation of phenol and benzoic acid by sol–gel-synthesized alkali metal-doped ZnO

The effect of three alkali metal dopants on the photocatalytic properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) was investigated. Crystallized powders of ZnO doped with 10% lithium, sodium and potassium synthesized by a sol–gel process with zinc acetate and oxalic acid precursors were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet irradiation of undoped and doped ZnO powders was tested by degradation of phenol and benzoic acid, chosen as model organic pollutants. Doping ZnO with lithium, sodium and potassium increases the crystallinity of powders and reduces band gap energy. Comparison of photocatalytic activity of undoped and doped ZnO powders demonstrates that doping with sodium and lithium increases the efficiency of degradation of both phenol and benzoic acid.