Investigation on the photocatalytic activity of chemically synthesized zirconium doped cadmium selenide nanoparticles for indigo carmine dye degradation under solar light irradiation

A simple chemical methodology has been adopted for the synthesis of zirconium (Zr) doped and un-doped cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles for the application towards photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine (IC) dye under solar light irradiation. The Zr-CdSe (doped) and CdSe (un-doped) nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The inclusion of Zr ion into the CdSe nanoparticles matrix was confirmed by SEM-EDAX and XRD studies. TEM studies confirm the zirconium ions are uniformly doped over the CdSe surface. The photocatalytic degradation performance of Zr doped and un-doped CdSe nanoparticles was examined for the degradation of IC dye under solar light irradiation. The experimental results indicated that the Zr-doped CdSe possessed greater photocatalytic activity in comparison to un-doped CdSe. Photodegradation process parameters such as the initial concentration of the dye, as well as the amount of catalyst and time were investigated. The photocatalytic degradation rate was favored by a high concentration of the solution in respect to Langmuir–Hinshelwood model.