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Simultaneous doping of higher ionic state metal and surface plasmon resonance-inducing element with ZnO: an effective approach to improve photocatalytic dye degradation

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Abstract

This study aims to improve the photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide thin films by simultaneously doping with a higher oxidation state transition element and another element with localized plasmon resonance. To achieve this hypothesis, tungsten (W) and copper (Cu) were added to ZnO and the effects of W + Cu co-doping on the photocatalytic activity have been investigated. In addition, the influence of W + Cu co-doping on the structural, optical and surface morphological properties of ZnO has been studied and the obtained results have been correlated with the enhancement in the photocatalytic activity. The concentration of W was kept as 3 wt% and that of Cu was varied as 1, 3 and 5 wt%. The films were deposited on stainless steel mesh substrates. Antibacterial activity test was carried out for all the prepared film samples. The co-doped film with W + Cu doping concentrations 3 + 3 wt% exhibits superior photocatalytic and antibacterial activities when compared with other samples. The reasons and the mechanism behind this enhancement in the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities have been addressed in this paper.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by Department of Science & Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board (DST-SERB), Government of India, through the major research project EMR/2016/003326.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Science Research Laboratory, PG and Research Department of Physics, A.V.V.M. Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous) (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli), Poondi, Thanjavur, 613 503, Tamil Nadu, India

    K. Shantha Seelan & K. Ravichandran

  2. PG and Research Department of Zoology and Bio-Technology, A.V.V.M. Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous) (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli), Poondi, Thanjavur, 613 503, Tamil Nadu, India

    P. Kavitha

  3. Research Department of Nanotechnology, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Kumarakovil, Kanyakumari, 629 180, Tamil Nadu, India

    P. K. Praseetha

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Shantha Seelan, K., Ravichandran, K., Kavitha, P. et al. Simultaneous doping of higher ionic state metal and surface plasmon resonance-inducing element with ZnO: an effective approach to improve photocatalytic dye degradation. Appl. Phys. A 126, 750 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-020-03938-z

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