Preparation and Photodegradation of Ag/ZnO on Low-Concentration Ammonium Nitrogen Wastewater
摘要
Ag/ZnO composite materials were prepared using a hydrothermal method based on the optimal experimental conditions for synthesizing ZnO materials. These composites were utilized in the photodegradation of simulated wastewater containing 50 mg/L ammonium nitrogen. The optimal composite ratio was determined through experimentation, and Ag/ZnO composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the Ag/ZnO composites exhibit microstructural features similar to ZnO materials, characterized by flower-like morphologies composed of clustered porous sheets with high crystallinity. Compared to pure ZnO, the Ag/ZnO-5% composite demonstrated stronger absorption across the visible light spectrum and had a bandgap energy of approximately 3.17 eV. Additionally, the recombination rate of electron–hole pairs in Ag/ZnO composites was lower than that in ZnO. After a 30-min dark reaction, the composite material achieved a degradation efficiency of 71.11% for the 50 mg/L ammonium nitrogen-simulated wastewater under 250 W mercury lamp irradiation for 180 min.