Photodegradation of thiophene over ZrO2–SiO2 nanoparticles: impact of copper decoration on their photocatalytic activity

A sol–gel technique was useful for the synthesis of zirconia–silica nanoparticles. Metallic copper has decorated zirconia–silica nanoparticles via photo-assisted deposition method, decorated copper mass percent was varied from 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt%. XRD results confirm that decoration of zirconia–silica nanoparticles by copper did not alert XRD pattern of zirconia–silica nanoparticles and there are no peaks for copper or copper oxide, due to high dispersion of copper above a surface of zirconia–silica nanoparticles. The decoration of zirconia–silica nanoparticles by copper was reduced band gap energy of zirconia–silica nanoparticles from 3.20 to 2.35 eV with 1.5 wt% Cu decoration. Photocatalytic oxidation of thiophene in presence of visible light was selected to measure the impact of metallic copper on photocatalytic activity of zirconia–silica nanoparticles. 1.5 wt% Cu-decorated zirconia–silica nanoparticles can degrade 100% of thiophene within 90 min.