ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline–zirconium dioxide and polyaniline–cerium dioxide composites with enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye

Anwar-ul-Haq Ali Shah, Shafaq Akhlaq, Murtaza Sayed, Salma Bilal, and Nauman Ali

University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

E-mail: murtazasayed_407@yahoo.com

Abstract: For the first time, chloroform and 2-butanol were used as solvent systems for the preparation of ZrO₂–PANI and CeO₂–PANI composites. Solubility of the synthesized composites was studied in chloroform, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), and in mixture of toluene + 2-propanol (2:1). XRD and cyclic voltammetry data showed that the ZrO₂–PANI and CeO₂–PANI composites possess both crystalline and amorphous domains indicating some sort of conductivity. TGA results showed that ZrO₂–PANI composite have a better thermal stability than pure PANI; however, CeO₂–PANI composite has lower thermal stability than pure PANI. The conjugated unsaturated structure of PANI is responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic properties of ZrO₂–PANI and CeO₂–PANI. Photocatalytic results showed that, at photolysis time of 60 min, rhodamine B (RhB) dye was degraded up to 34 and 35% by ZrO₂–PANI and CeO₂–PANI, respectively. The degradation products of RhB were quantified by LC–MS and GC–MS, and accordingly, a detailed pathway was proposed.

Keywords: ZrO₂–PANI ; CeO₂–PANI ; Conjugated unsaturated polymer ; Inverse polymerization ; Photocatalysis 

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-018-0494-7

Chemical Papers 72 (10) 2523–2538 (2018)