Synthesis of ZnO-SnO2-Ag Nanocomposite and Investigation of the Photocatalytic Decomposition of Methyl Orange Using Synthesized Nanocomposite

The presence of dye organic pollutants such as methyl orange is an imperative threat for environment. Therefore, the main aim of this study is synthesize of the ZnO-SnO2-Ag nanocomposite and elimination of methyl orange from water using advanced oxidation process and synthesized photocatalytic nanocomposite. Material and Methods: The nanocomposite containing ZnO, SnO2 and Ag nanoparticles is synthesized for photocatalytic application. The synthesized nanocomposite is characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of irradiation time ranging from 5 min to 15 min and weight fraction of nanocomposite ranging from 0.125 %wt to 0.5 %wt is investigated on the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange. The results of the XRD pattern reveal that the Ag nanoparticles with cubic structure decorate on the surface of ZnO-SnO2. The results of the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposite show that the removal efficiency of the pollutant increases with UV irradiation time and weight fraction. The results of the Duncan’s multiple range test confirm that there is a significant difference among different level of the UV irradiation time and weight fraction of nanocomposite. Base on the experimental results, it is clear that the effect of UV irradiation time is more significant rather than weight fraction.