Síntese, caracterização e atividade fotocatalítica de nanofibras cerâmicas eletrofiadas de óxido de zinco dopadas e co-dopadas com níquel e magnésio

Abstract

Methylene blue is a well-known dye present in effluents from different types of industries and causes several negative impacts on the quality of water and the life of living organisms. Nanotechnology has contributed in many ways to the degradation of contaminants, especially in the context of electrospun nanofibers and photocatalysis. Electrospinning is said to be one of the most widely used and versatile techniques for the synthesis of nano- and micrometer-scale fibers, with electrospun fibers having applications ranging from industrial insertions to biomedical functions. Zinc oxide (ZnO) ceramic nanofibers synthesized by electrospinning and post-heat treatment (calcination) have been reported as nanostructures with excellent performance as photocatalysts. In this sense, this study aimed to synthesize ZnO ceramic nanofibers doped and co-doped with nickel (Ni) and magnesium (Mg) using the electrospinning method, as well as investigating the effect of doping on the photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solutions. The XRD patterns indicate the non-formation of a secondary phase, indicating the success in doping and obtaining the oxide by electrospinning and calcination. SEM images proved the formation of nanometer-sized fibers. Regarding the effect of doping on the optical and photodegradation properties of zinc oxide ceramic nanofibers, the addition of Ni and Mg increased the band gap energy and the photocatalytic performance was better in the 8 mol% Mg sample, degrading 98.74% of the dye.