University of Kashan Journal of Nanostructures 2251-7871 8 3 2018 07 01 A Comparative Study of Photocatalytic Activity of ZnO/activated Carbon Nanocomposites Prepared by Solid-state and Conventional Precipitation Methods 259 265 77166 10.22052/JNS.2018.03.005 EN Mohammad Ghorbanpour Faculty of Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Bahareh Hakimi Faculty of Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Atabak Feizi Faculty of Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran Journal Article 2018 03 05 ZnO/activated carbon nanocomposites (ZnO/ACns) were synthesized by applying two different solid-state and precipitation methods. Precipitation method was initiated with zinc chloride and sodium hydroxide as starting materials in the presence of activated carbon. The synthesized sample was calcined at 250 °C for 1 h. The preparation of nanocomposite by solid-state method was accomplished by heating a mixture of ZnCl₂ and activated carbon at 250 °C for 1 h, which led to the formation of ZnO particles on the surface. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Photocatalytic activity of these ZnO/acnes was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange under UV-light radiation. The SEM images of samples show that the agglomerations of particles are much less in solid-state method prepared samples.  The results of EDS indicate that the ratio of Zn/C in the pure activated carbon and nanocomposites prepared by solid-state and precipitation methods were 0, 1.7 and 3.7 % (W/W), respectively. The XRD of the samples clearly shows that the sample prepared by the above routes has ZnO structures. Finally, ZnO/ACn prepared by the solid-state method demonstrated better photocatalytic efficiency against methyl orange dye than composites made by precipitation method. https://jns.kashanu.ac.ir/article_77166_0b01c66b5fcfc7204c80d3612ab563b1.pdf