ZnO/SiO₂ Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition as Adsorbents of Organic Dye in Aqueous Solution and Its Photocatalytic Regeneration

In this work, ZnO shell on mesoporous $SiO_2$ ($ZnO/SiO_2$) was prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Diethylzinc (DEZ) and $H_2O$ were used as precursor of ZnO shell. $ZnO/SiO_2$ sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). $ZnO/SiO_2$ showed higher adsorption capacity of MB than that of bare mesoporous $SiO_2$ and the adsorption capacities of $ZnO/SiO_2$ could be regenerated by UV exposure through the photocatalytic degradation of the adsorbed MB. This system could be used for removing organic dye from water by adsorption and reused after saturation of adsorption due to its photocatalytic regeneration.