The aim of this work is to systematically explore the effect of the synthesis conditions of ZnO structures, immobilized on different substrates by hydrothermal treatment, in its photocatalytic activity. A circumscribed central composite design of experiments was used to analyze the effects of reagents stoichiometry, reaction time and temperature, covering a wide range of these variables. The substrates used were etched glass, copper and zinc foils. The photocatalytic activity of the as-obtained ZnO samples was evaluated through photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under UV irradiation. Zinc foils presented the best immobilized film quality and the maximum dye removal was 80% in one hour of UV exposure.
Keywords:
hydrothermal crystal growth; nanostructures; zinc oxide; photocatalysis; design of experiments