Abstract
This research aims to investigate the simulation of a pilot-scale photocatalytic reactor based on cobalt-doped ZnO films, where the photocatalyst films were initially assessed on a lab scale for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. ZnO and cobalt-doped ZnO catalyst films were firstly synthesized by means of the spray pyrolysis technique. The catalyst films were then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and diffuse spectroscopy (EDS) (DRS). The lattice parameters of cobalt-doped ZnO films, as well as their bandgap values and structures, have been computed applying the density functional theory (DFT). Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used to assess the effect of the main operating parameters (contact time, RhB concentration, and cobalt doping percentage) on the photocatalytic activity that achieved 93% using 10% of cobalt doping ZnO within 120 min. Aspen Plus was used to model and design the photocatalysis process at the pilot scale based on the lab-scale results. The findings of this study suggest that cobalt-doped ZnO films could be effectively used for the photodegradation of organic pollutants and offer potential perspectives on their large-scale application for the treatment of real liquid effluents using solar light.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1017-1038 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Reaction Kinetics, Mechanisms and Catalysis |
Volume | 134 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2021 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Aspen plus
- Cobalt-doped ZnO film
- DFT
- Spray pyrolysis
- Visible light