Abstract

"Use Of Zinc Ferrite as A Photocatalyst For Degradation of Toluidine Blue"

Author(s): Priya Parsoya* and Suresh C. Ameta

The photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4 was investigated by carrying out the photocatalytic degradation of toluidine blue dye under visible light. ZnFe2O4 was synthesized by precipitation method. The dye solution was exposed to a 200 W tungsten lamp. The degradation rate of the dye was observed by measuring its absorbance at regular time intervals at 630 nm. Effect of various parameters like pH, concentration of dye, amount of semiconductor and intensity of light on rate of degradation was observed. The optimum rate was observed at pH = 9.5; toluidine blue = 2.10 x 10−5 M; zinc ferrite = 0.06 g and light intensity = 60.0 mWcm−2. The rate constant for a typical run was observed as 2.67 x 10−4 sec−1. A tentative mechanism has been proposed for the photocatalytic degradation of toluidine blue in presence of zinc ferrite involving superoxide anion radical as the active oxidizing species