Photocatalytic activity of ion-doped ZnO powders

Na, Mg and Al-doped ZnO nano-powders were prepared by the sol-gel method. Acetate of zinc and nitrate salts of Na, Mg and Al were mixed with solution of ethanolamine and 2-methoxyethanol. The xerogel was calcinated at 973 K for 1 h in the air to eliminate organic matter and form powders. The structural, the grain size of doped ZnO and photocatalvtic activity of the powders were investigated. The samples crystal structure were analyzed by XRD and photocatalytic activity were carried out in a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Photocatalytic degradation of the methyl orange solution under the light of wavelength of 254 nm was performed to investigate the photocatalytic activity of doped ZnO powders. The results showed that dopant can greatly improve the photocatalytic activity of ZnO powders. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity of doped ZnO powers is mainly due to their smaller particle size and capability for reducing the electron hole pair recombination.