No presente trabalho foram confeccionados de maneira simples e eficiente fotoeletrodos baseados em ZnO produzidos a partir de síntese de combustão, diretamente na superfície de óxido de índio dopado com estanho (ITO), na presença de diferentes combustíveis: ácido cítrico, glicina e ureia, submetidos a tratamento térmico em 500 e 600 ºC. Os filmes foram caracterizados por análise termogravimétrica, difratometria de raios X, Raman, refletância difusa, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e medidas eletroquímicas, na presença e ausência de luz. O poder redutor de cada combustível investigado, bem como baixas temperaturas de tratamento térmico foram determinantes para a área superficial disponível dos materiais de ZnO formados. A completa conversão a óxido de zinco a baixas temperaturas de calcinação, bem como o tamanho das partículas foram determinantes para a eficiência fotoeletrocatalítica. O fotoeletrodo obtido ao utilizar a glicina como combustível da síntese e tratado a 500 ºC, por 2 h, apresentou melhor resposta em relação a fotocorrente (103 µA cm-2 mg-1) e aos parâmetros cinéticos (22,9 × 10-3 min-1 cm-2 mg-1) para a fotoeletrocatálise do corante azul de metileno, sob irradiação UV.

In this work photoelectrodes based on ZnO produced from combustion synthesis were prepared in a simple and efficient way, directly on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO), in the presence of different fuels: citric acid, glycine and urea, and undergoing heat treatment at 500 and 600 ºC. The films were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements in the presence and absence of light. The reducing power of each fuel was investigated, as well as low temperature heat treatment was crucial to the available surface area of the formed ZnO materials. The complete conversion to zinc oxide at low calcination temperatures, as well as the particle size were crucial for the photoeletrocatalytic efficiency, since the photoelectrode fuel obtained with glycine and treated at 500 ºC showed better response of the photocurrent (103 µA cm-2 mg-1) and the kinetic parameters (22.9 × 10-3 min-1 cm-2 mg-1) for the photoelectrocatalysis of methylene blue dye under UV irradiation.

O vanadato de bismuto (BiVO4) é um semicondutor que tem atraído muita atenção devido à eficiência fotocatalítica na região da luz visível. O objetivo deste trabalho foi sintetizar o BiVO4 monoclínico por síntese de combustão em solução, com diferentes combustíveis e surfatantes e aplicá-los como fotoeletrodos. A caracterização por espectroscopia de infravermelho e Raman mostrou que todas as amostras apresentaram bandas características da estrutura monoclínica do BiVO4. As amostras sintetizadas com glicina e glicina/Tween® 80 apresentaram V2O5. O filme obtido a partir da alanina/Tween® 80 apresentou maior fotocorrente, o que pode ser relacionado ao menor tamanho das partículas (200 a 300 nm) verificado pelas imagens de microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Os filmes obtidos usando alanina apresentaram maiores valores de constante de velocidade observada e percentagem de descoloração do azul de metileno.

The bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a semiconductor that has attracted much attention due to the photocatalytic efficiency in the visible light region. The objective of this work was to synthesize monoclinic BiVO4 by solution combustion synthesis, with different surfactants and fuels and apply it as photoelectrodes. The characterization by infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy showed that all samples showed characteristic bands of the monoclinic structure BiVO4. The samples synthesized with glycine and glycine/Tween® 80 had V2O5. The film obtained from the alanine/Tween® 80 showed highest photocurrent values, which may be related to smaller size particles (200 to 300 nm) observed by scanning electron microscopy images. The films obtained using alanine showed highest values of rate constant reaction and percentage discoloration of methylene blue.

In this manuscript, a BiVO4 semiconductor was synthesized by solution combustion synthesis using different fuels (Alanine, Glycine and Urea). Also, the Tween® 80 surfactant was added during synthesis. BiVO4 was characterized by XRD, SEM and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the discoloration of methylene blue at 664 nm under UV-visible light irradiation. According to XRD, the monoclinic phase of BiVO4 was obtained for the samples. The smallest particle size and highest k obs value were observed for the BiVO4/alanine sample, which promoted greater demethylation of methylene blue.

The kinetics of biodegradation by the fungus Ganoderma sp of textile dyes Yellow, Blue and Red Procion were studied in effluents using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS) and univariate analysis. The kinetic of the reactions were founded intermediate between first and second orders and the rate constants were calculated. The biodegradation after 72 h at 28 ºC were 33.6, 43.5 and 57.7% for the dyes Yellow, Blue and Red Procion, respectively. The quantitative analysis of the effluent by HPLC method can not be used without previous separation.