Synthesis of solar light responsive ZnO/TaON photocatalysts and their photocatalytic activity

태양광 응답형 ZnO/TaON 나노 복합체의 제조 및 광촉매 특성 평가

The effects of the preparation conditions of ZnO-modified TaON on the photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B dye (Rh. B) under simulated solar light were investigated. The ZnO/TaON nanocomposite were prepared by loading particulate $Ta_2O_5$ with ZnO using different ZnO contents, followed by thermal nitridation at 1123 K for 5 h under $NH_3$ flow (20 ml min.1). The asprepared samples were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis-DRS, and SEM-EDX. The results revealed that the band gap energy absorption edge of as prepared nanocomposite samples was shifted to a longer wavelength as compared to ZnO and $Ta_2O_5$, and the 60 wt% ZnO/TaON nanocomposite exhibited the highest percentage (99.2 %) of degradation of Rh. B and the highest reaction rate constant ($0.0137min^{-1}$) in 4 h which could be attributed to the enhanced absorption of the ZnO/TaON nanocomposite photocatalyst. Hence, these results suggest that the ZnO/TaON nanocomposite exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B under simulated solar light irradiation in comparison to the commercial ZnO, $Ta_2O_5$, and TaON.