ZrO2 Nanoparticles: Optical Properties of Tetragonal Phase and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) nanoparticles were synthesized from thezirconium chloride using the co-precipitation technique and characterized by variousmeasurement techniques. FESEM analysis further revealed spherical shaped NPs andHR-TEM analysis determined the size of the particles in the range of 14.5 nm. The bandgap energy was estimated 4.0 eV. The UV (350 nm) emission was observed from PLspectrum. The photocatalytic degradation of the as-prepared ZrO2 nanoparticles werestudied under UV light irradiation using ciprofloxacin (CIP) as a model organicpollutant. Results showed that 50% degradation were achieved within 15 min.