Photocatalytic degradation of Aniline from aqueous solutions under sunlight illumination using immobilized Cr:ZnO nanoparticles

The present study aimed at synthesizing chromium doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Cr:ZnO NPs) under mild hydrothermal conditions (temperature ~100 °C, p = autogenous and time ~12 hr). Chromium oxide and n-butylamine were used as dopant and surface modifier, respectively. The characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were determined through conducting specialized experiments including powder XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. Then, the Cr:ZnO NPs were immobilized on a sandblasted glass through thermal method. The photocatalytic degradation of aniline was conducted in a continuous reactor with a volume of 1.5 liters. Before and after photocatalytic degradation, the immobilized Cr:ZnO NPs were characterized for SEM and EDX to determine the degree of stability of immobilized nanoparticles as well as the influence of the current applied on them. The photodegradation operational parameters investigated were aniline initial concentration (150, 200, and 250 mg/L), pH (5, 7, 6, and 12), and reaction time (2, 4, and 6 hours) under sunlight illumination. The characterization results indicated high purity of the Cr:ZnO NPs and no change in morphology or composition even after the immobilization and photo-oxidation process. Finally, it was found that the optimum conditions for 93% removal of aniline under sunlight illumination was about 6 hours retention time at pH 9.