Synthesis and characterization of gadolinium tungstate doped zinc oxide photocatalyst

Abstract

Fabrication of 5 wt% Gd₂WO₆ doped ZnO via template-free hydrothermal process and its photocatalytic activity against azo dyes, rhodamine-B (Rh–B) and trypan blue (TB) in UV-A light irradiation are reported. The as-prepared Gd₂WO₆ doped ZnO has been characterised by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and, diffused reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The XRD pattern indicates the distinct diffraction peaks for wurtzite ZnO and body-centered monoclinic structure of Gd₂WO₆ with good crystallinity. EDS analysis reveals the homogeneous distribution of Gd, Zn, W and O in the prepared catalyst. The results suggests that rare earth tungstate, Gd₂WO₆ doping on ZnO has great influence on the photocatalytic activity under UV-A light. Gd₂WO₆-ZnO possesses high reusability without appreciable loss of catalytic activity up to four runs.