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Synthesis of YAG:Ce/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles with enhanced UV-visible and visible light photocatalytic activity and application for the antibiotic removal from aqueous media

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Abstract

We report the first synthesis of highly homogenous Ce-doped YAG/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles (YAG:Ce/ZnO CSN) based on the hydrolysis/condensation of Zn(OAc)2 on the surface of YAG:Ce nanoparticles (NPs). Results show that YAG:Ce NPs of about 100 nm diameter are homogenously surrounded by a multilayer of highly crystallized ZnO nanocrystals (ZnO NCs) of 10–15 nm diameter with a core/shell structure. The as-prepared nanostructures have been used in the photocatalytic degradation of sulfathiazole (STZ), which is a molecule widely used as antibiotic, under UV-vis and visible light. The effect of YAG:Ce/ZnO weight ratio and YAG:Ce particle size on the photocatalytic efficiency of YAG:Ce/ZnO core/shell structures has been studied. The YAG:Ce/ZnO weight ratio of 1/1 was found to yield the optimal photocatalytic activity. Results also showed that YAG:Ce/ZnO CSN with 100 nm core size exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity compared to YAG:Ce/ZnO CSN with micro-sized YAG;Ce core. The recyclability of YAG:Ce/ZnO CSN photocatalyst was also demonstrated over at least 10 photocatalytic degradation cycles.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank Christelle Blavignac (CICS, Université d’Auvergne) for TEM observations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté des Sciences de Tétouan, Laboratoire de l’Eau, d’Etude et des Analyses Environnementales, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tétouan, 93002, Morocco

    Lobna Zammouri & Mostafa Stitou

  2. Institut de Chimie de Clermont Ferrand UMR 6296 CNRS/UBP/Sigma Clermont, Université Clermont Auvergne, Aubiere Cedex, 63178, France

    Lobna Zammouri, Abdelhay Aboulaich, Mohamed Sarakha & Rachid Mahiou

  3. Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules (PhLAM), Université Lille 1-Sciences et Technologies, CNRS (UMR 8523), CERLA/IRCICA, F-59655, Villeneuve d’ascq Cedex, France

    Bruno Capoen & Mohamed Bouazaoui

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  1. Lobna Zammouri
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  2. Abdelhay Aboulaich
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  3. Bruno Capoen
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Zammouri, L., Aboulaich, A., Capoen, B. et al. Synthesis of YAG:Ce/ZnO core/shell nanoparticles with enhanced UV-visible and visible light photocatalytic activity and application for the antibiotic removal from aqueous media. Journal of Materials Research 34, 1318–1330 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2019.25

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