Synergistic effect of N-decorated and Mn2+ doped ZnO nanofibers with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Here we report a high efficiency photocatalyst, i.e., Mn2+-doped and N-decorated ZnO nanofibers (NFs) enriched with vacancy defects, fabricated via electrospinning and a subsequent controlled annealing process. This nanocatalyst exhibits excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity and an apparent quantum efficiency up to 12.77%, which is 50 times higher than that of pure ZnO. It also demonstrates good stability and durability in repeated photocatalytic degradation experiments. A comprehensive structural analysis shows that high density of oxygen vacancies and nitrogen are introduced into the nanofibers surface. Hence, the significant enhanced visible photocatalytic properties for Mn-ZnO NFs are due to the synergetic effects of both Mn2+ doping and N decorated. Further investigations exhibit that the Mn2+-doping facilitates the formation of N-decorated and surface defects when annealing in N2 atmosphere. N doping induce the huge band gap decrease and thus significantly enhance the absorption of ZnO nanofibers in the range of visible-light. Overall, this paper provides a new approach to fabricate visible-light nanocatalysts using both doping and annealing under anoxic ambient.

The Applications of Morphology Controlled ZnO in Catalysis

“…Main group metals, transition metals, and rare-earth metals are all reported in preparing doped ZnO [231][232][233][234][235][236]. Very recently, Li et al made Ga doped ZnO photonic crystals (GZO PCs) with various pore diameters and utilized them for RhB degradation [231].…”

“…The excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB was attributed to crystallite size, narrowed band gap, and oxygen vacancies. Except for single element doping, N-decorated and Mn 2+ doped ZnO nanofibers were synthesized by Wang et al [236]. This nanocatalyst exhibited 50 times higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of RhB than that of pure ZnO.…”

“…In order to increase photocatalytic activities, many efforts have been made to prepare element doped ZnO [231][232][233][234][235][236]. Main group metals, transition metals, and rare-earth metals are all reported in preparing doped ZnO [231][232][233][234][235][236].…”

Doping manganese into CsPb(Cl/Br)3 quantum dots glasses: Dual‐color emission and super thermal stability

“…More interesting, the spectral peaks appear close enough to each other to overlap, which correspond to the inner and surface ions . As we expected that the small binding energy peaks at 643.4 eV, corresponding to Mn 2p core‐levels which are detected only in the Mn‐doped CsPb(Cl/Br) 3 QDs . And it can be found from standard cards that the standard XPS signal for Mn 2+ is 642.00 eV.…”

RGO‐ZnSe Photocatalyst towards Solar‐Light‐Assisted Degradation of Tetracycline Antibiotic Water Pollutant

“…Various photocatalysts such as TiO 2 , V 2 O 5 , NaNbO 3 , gC 3 N 4 , BWO – GO were employed to degrade TC. The semiconductor photocatalysts such as TiO 2 and ZnO have broad bandgap and hence absorb only ultraviolet light. This accounts for only 3–4% of the sunlight.…”