Photodegradation of methylene blue using CexZryO2 nanocomposites prepared via a non-stoichiometry method

Abstract

The effective degradation of organic dye pollutants in water is a research hotspot at present. In this work, Ce_xZr_yO₂ nanocomposites with different ratios of niobium and zirconium were synthesized by a non-stoichiometric and hydrothermal method, and their performance in the photodegradation of organic dyes was studied. Taking the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) as an example, the factors affecting the catalytic rate of the catalyst were investigated by band gap energy analysis and solid-state ultraviolet analysis of the specific surface area. The effect of free radicals on the photocatalytic degradation of MB was studied by selective scavenging of free radicals. The degradation efficiency for MB could reach 99.04% within 120 min, which was the highest when the Ce/Zr molar ratio was 9 : 1 among the series of Ce_xZr_yO₂ nanocomposites.