Dependence of the efficiency of ZnSnO3 nanopowder photocatalyst against Congo red on the sintering temperature of the as-prepared samples

The present study deals with the performance of ZnSnO3 nanopowder as a photocatalyst in degrading the Congo red (CR) dye. The samples were prepared by co-precipitation method and sintered at different temperatures. The size, specific surface area and morphology of the nanopowder depend on the sintering temperature. The sintering temperatures are selected depending upon Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). Confirmation of the single phase crystalline structure is done using Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). FESEM and TEM micrographs provide information on the morphology. The surface area was estimated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and the band gap energy by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The photoluminescence (PL) spectra confirm the existence of oxygen vacancies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to identify the functional groups. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify the vibrational modes. The study shows that the photocatalytic efficiency increases with increasing sintering temperature. The electron scavenger H(2)O(2 )increases the degradation rate. The catalyst is very stable, as confirmed by the cyclic stability test.