02051nas a2200193   4500008004100000022001400041245009600055210006900151260007300220300001000293490000800303520131700311653001801628653004401646653001801690653000801708100001801716856012301734       2006                        eng d  a0926-860X00aPhotocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water by ZnO nanoparticles: revisited0 aPhotocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water by Z  aPO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDSbELSEVIER SCIENCE BVcMAY  a55-610 v3043 a<p>Nanoscale photocatalysts have attracted much attention due to their high surface area to volume ratios. This work investigates the photodegradation of organic contaminants using the fluorescence emission characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-nano) in aqueous solutions. This is accomplished by preparing nanocrystalline ZnO; the presence of organic contaminants in water is readily detected from the quenching of fluorescence observed from ZnO semiconductor films. Photolysis of ZnO thin films immersed into an aqueous system containing organic contaminants results in the degradation of the contaminants. A comprehensive study has been done involving several organic contaminants in water (like aliphatic and aromatic chloro compounds as well as some commonly used aromatic solvents) to check the suitability of ZnO-nano as an efficient photocatalyst. The ZnO nanoparticles not only serve as a better catalytic system compared to bulk ZnO and commercially available Degussa TiO2 in achieving degradation of the added contaminants, but unlike other semiconductor systems can also act as a non-specific sensor for the presence of these common contaminants in water. A total cleanup of a cocktail of contaminants in water was also achieved using the ZnO-nano. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</p>10aNanoparticles10aorganic contaminants and photocatalysis10aSemiconductor10aZnO1 aHariharan, C.  uhttps://library.ncl.res.in/content/photocatalytic-degradation-organic-contaminants-water-zno-nanoparticles-revisited-0