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Fabrication of g-C3N4/ZnO Nanocmposite Photocatalyst for the degradation of Dieldrin
1Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus , Terengganu,
2Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
3Centre for Functional Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
*Email Address : nurhanna.badar@umt.edu.my
Abstract : Dieldrin, a toxic organochlorine pesticide, poses severe environmental hazards, making its removal essential. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized via the self-propagating combustion method (SPC) using triethanolamine as fuel, followed by the synthesis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) through the pyrolysis method. Then, g-C3N4/ZnO composite (g-C3N4 = 3%, 5%, 7%) was prepared using the impregnation method. XRD confirmed single-phase ZnO, while the g-C3N4/ZnO composites showed additional g-C3N4 peaks and smaller crystallite sizes. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that g-C3N4 doping reduced the band gap energy from 3.24 eV to 3.10 eV. Photocatalytic degradation experiments demonstrated that the 7% g-C3N4/ZnO composite achieved 87.2% removal of dieldrin after 3 hours of reaction, compared to 37.92% for pure ZnO. The enhanced efficiency resulted from the narrower band gap, larger surface area, and improved electron–hole separation. Overall, g-C3N4/ZnO composites present a cost-effective and efficient approach for pesticide degradation.
Keywords : ZnO, g-C3N4/ZnO composite , Combustion, Dieldrin, Photocatalyst