Surfactant-assisted synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties of nanostructure porous WO3/ZrO2 solid acid

Improved photocatalytic activity for degradation of textile dyeing waste water and thiazine dyes using PbWO4 nanoparticles synthesized by co-precipitation method

The coloured dyes released from the textile industrial effluents into water resources cause non-aesthetic pollution and aquatic life toxicity. Thus textile waste water treatment has been studied globally for many years. Photocatalytic properties of lead tungstate (PbWO₄) nanoparticles (NPs) were analyzed for thiazine dyes and textile waste water under ultraviolet light conditions. XRD result showed the tetragonal scheelite structure of PbWO₄ NPs. The crystallinity of the sample was confirmed from the SAED and XRD pattern. The existence of stretch vibration of Pb-O and O-W-O confirmed from FTIR results. EDAX displays optical absorption signals of Pb, W and O, and confirm the formation of PbWO₄. Optical studies reveal that the band gap of the obtained nanoparticles increases with respect to their bulk counterparts that may be attributed to reduction in particle size. TEM images of PbWO₄ powder consists of hexagonal particles and relatively uniform and smooth surface rod shaped prism-like structures. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanoparticles was analyzed through the degradation of textile waste water under UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic reaction rate constant was found to be 0.014/min. The small sized PbWO₄ particles can adsorb more OH groups and oxidatively degrade the pollutants in the textile waste water.