Synthesis of Ag-Doped CuPc-ZnO/Hydrophobic Silica Aerogel Nanophotocatalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Floating Benzene: A Comparative Study of Different Photoreactor Geometries

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, water pollution with water-immiscible pollutants such as BTXs has attracted the attention of researchers, and for this purpose, the use of silica aerogel-based photocatalysts has been favored by researchers. In this research, the synthesis of an Ag-CuPc-ZnO/Silica Aerogel hydrophobic photocatalyst was prepared by sol-gel and impregnation methods for the degradation of floating benzene pollutants originating from oil well explosions is presented. The effect of different percentages of Ag on the catalyst's performance was evaluated, and the optimal sample was studied in rectangular and cylindrical photoreactors. Characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM, FTIR, BET/BJH, PL, contact angle, and UV-Vis DRS were employed to analyze the physicochemical properties of the hydrophobic photocatalyst BET analysis showed an increased specific surface area and decreased pore diameter with decreasing nanoparticle size. DRS analysis demonstrated a decreased bandgap with increasing Ag content and increased light absorption in the visible light region with CuPc addition. PL analysis indicated a significant decrease in electron-hole recombination with 10% Ag. Ag-CuPc-ZnO/Silica Aerogel with 10% wt. Ag exhibited the highest efficiency in benzene photodegradation. The rectangular photoreactor demonstrated superior performance with higher degradation rates, STY, PSTY, and QY, attributed to its uniform light distribution and better illumination.