Abstract:
ZnO semiconductor is a metal oxide which has applications in the field of
photodegradation. Some of the advantages of ZnO are small particle size, high exchange
reaction activity and efficiency in the UV light region, however the ZnO catalyst has a
large band gap energy and is difficult to separate from water after the photocatalytic
reaction limits its application in the treatment of water polluted with dyes. In this study,
the ZnO/Bentonite composite was synthesized using microwave assistance which was
used as a catalyst for the photodegradation test of methylene blue dye. XRD
characterization showed that the crystal structure obtained had a hexagonal shape with a
10 g ZnO/Bentonite composite crystal size of 18,85 nm. The results of UV-DRS
characterization showed that there was a decrease in the band-gap energy from 3,21 eV
on ZnO to 2,21 eV on 10 gram ZnO/Bentonite composite. The synthesis results were
then tested for photodegradation of methylene blue and it was concluded that the
ZnO/Bentonite composite could degrade 10 ppm methylene blue with a catalyst mass of
0,15 gram of 98,35 % within 140 minutes.
