Advanced visible-light applications utilizing modified Zn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles via non-metal in situ dual doping for wastewater detoxification

Various applications in wastewater treatment were successfully achieved by the utilization of modified Zn doped TiO2 nanoparticles via non-metal in situ dual doping to obtain a novel catalyst with an improved photocatalytic response. The doping process was carried out during the fabrication of TiO2 nanostructured via the sol-gel technique. The resulting synthesized particles are spherical nanoparticles of Zn doped-TiO2 with an average size of 51 +/- 3 nm. Then N, S, and Zn doped-TiO2 have been synthesized via in situ dual doping by nitrogen and sulfur in a single step followed by heat treatment and calcination. The photocatalytic properties were extremely enhanced resorting to non-metal doping, which decreases the bandgap from (3.2 e.V) for TiO2 to (2.5 e.V) for N, S, and Zn doped-TiO2. In this work, successful applications result in high performance after introducing the new nanocatalyst in the photodegradation of methylene blue (dye) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) (antibiotic) from wastewater when carried out under the illumination of visible light in quick and high efficiency with excellent results. In addition to the full reduction of toxic Cr (VI) to nontoxic Cr (III) using N, S, and Zn doped-TiO2 nanocatalyst within few minutes.