Preparation, Characterization, and Activity of Y2O3-ZnO Complex Oxides for the Photodegradation of 2,4-Dinitrophenol

With strong adsorption selectivity and thermal stability, Y2O3 was added to ZnO to obtain Y2O3-ZnO complex oxides by a precipitation method. The Y2O3-ZnO complex oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, physisorption analyzer, and terephthalic acid photoluminescence probing techniques and were used for the degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol. More hydroxyl radicals were generated on the surface of the ZnO after adding moderate Y2O3. The Y2O3-ZnO complex oxides which contained 0.50% Y2O3 were proved to be the optimal photocatalyst and achieved a degradation of 81.2% of 2,4-dinitrophenol solution, compared to 57.6% achieved under the same photocatalytic conditions with ZnO alone.