Effect of Mn doping on microstructure and photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized via a hydrothermal method

Abstract Manganese-doped zinc oxide (Zn/Mn) nanostructures were synthesized via the hydrothermal method, varying the manganese content. The synthesized Zn/Mn nanostructures exhibit a hexagonal wurtzite structure with an average crystallite size ranging from 19 to 33 nm, as determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Increasing Mn concentration induces a blue shift in the energy bandgap (E g ) of the Zn/Mn nanostructures, decreasing it from 3.26 to 3.15 eV. The photocatalytic performance of these nanostructures was evaluated by studying the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet light irradiation. The incorporation of Mn content systematically enhanced the photocatalytic activity of ZnO, with the highest (73 % ) was observed in Zn/Mn_4 nanostructures. Additionally, the degradation mechanism has been addressed.