Application of ZnO/WO3 Composite Nanofiber Photocatalysts in Textile Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Semiconductor photocatalysis technology is an environmentally friendly and efficient emerging technology. This method can use sunlight as a driving force to quickly decompose organic pollutants in water bodies. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and tungsten oxide (WO3) photocatalysts can absorb sunlight and participate in photocatalytic degradation reactions due to their relatively narrow band gap. Highly photosensitive WO3 nanofibers and ZnO/WO3 composite nanofibers were fabricated via the electrospinning method. When 100 mg/L of rhodamine B (Rh B) solution was used as the degradation substrate, the degradation efficiencies of WO3 and ZnO/WO3 for Rh B dye were 70% and 90%, respectively, after a photocatalytic reaction of 120 min. The surface morphology, crystal structure, and optical properties of ZnO/WO3 composite nanofibers and WO3 nanofibers were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS, and UV-vis absorption spectra, and the experimental results were analyzed and explained using different mechanisms. The results show that ZnO/WO3 composite nanofibers have better UV-visible light absorption performance, and the sample has a higher UV-visible light utilization rate. This was mainly due to the fact that a P-N heterojunction was formed in the semiconductor composite, and the electron–hole pair could realize rapid separation under the drive of a built-in electric field force, which promoted the migration of carrier. Therefore, the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/WO3 catalyst was significantly higher than that of the WO3 catalyst, which promoted rapid improvement of the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the Rh B dye.