Posted: July 24, 2009

Wastewater treatment using semiconductor nanocomposites

(Nanowerk News) The researchers of Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch in collaboration with colleagues from University of Mohaghegh Ardebili managed to synthesize some semiconductor nanocomposites which could be applied in wastewater treatment.
“Nanocomposites (semiconductor nanoparticles/zeolite) could facilitate the degradation of organic pigments available in industrial wastewaters through photo-catalytic reactions.” said one of the research team members, Dr. Afshin Poorahmad Nodehi.
He added:” In order to produce this nanocomposite we first synthesized mordenite zeolite. Then, we embedded semiconductor nanoparticles of nickel sulfide, cobalt sulfide, and nickel cobalt sulfide into these matrices by ion exchange. After the investigations, the best reaction conditions for the production of semiconductors including reactant concentrations, reaction time, reaction temperature, mixing velocity, and pH of the medium were determined.”
He explained the other applications of these semiconductor particles:” These materials were found to be useful in different industries such as photocatalysts, sensors, none linear, photonic, electronic, and optoelectronic optical devices etc.”
You may find more details in several publications as follows: Materials Letters, volume 61, pages 2923-2926; Materials Letters, volume 61, pages 2311-2314; Materials Science and Engineering C, volume 28, pages 202-205; Materials Letters, volume 62, pages 655-658; PHYSICA E, volume 40, pages 684-688.
Source: INI