Photocatalytic properties of ZrO2 nanoparticles in removal of nitrophenol from aquatic solution

ZrO2 nanopowder was prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion method. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The average crystalline size of ZrO2 was obtained 62 nm. Also, photocatalytic removal of nitrophenol from aqueous solution by using nanoscale ZrO2 under UV light irradiation was studied. The effect of initial pollution concentrations in 3, 5 and 10 ppm in presence of ZrO2 nanoparticles was studied in photocatalytic degradation process. Nitrophenol was degraded 84, 78 and 66% in the presence of 0.04 g of ZrO2 within 70 minutes.