• Shirsat Ramesh Natha
• Manohar Ganpat Chaskar
• Yogeshwar Digambar Kaldante
• Yogesh B. Khollam

The pure and Tm-doped ZnO were prepared by environmental friendly approach, involving thermal decomposition of zinc oxalate (ZO) and zinc-thulium oxalate (ZTO) powder respectively obtained by simple mechanochemical method. The process of conversion of ZTO to Tm-doped ZnO was studied with TG-DTG and FTIR spectroscopy. ZnO and Tm-doped ZnO crystallites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy. The wurtzite crystallite structures of ZnO and Tm-doped ZnO were revealed from X-ray diffraction data. The peak broadening and higher Bragg angle shift in XRD pattern of Tm-doped ZnO as compared to the pure ZnO confirmed the insertion of Tm into ZnO lattice. The morphological study using FESEM confirmed nanocrystalline nature of ZnO and Tm-doped ZnO with nearly uniform particles size distribution. EDX study confirmed the purity of ZnO and Tm-doped ZnO. The chemical bonding information was obtained from FTIR spectra and band gap was determined from UV-Visible spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of ZnO and Tm-doped ZnO was tested by means of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under irradiation of sunlight in a batch photoreactor. The complete photocatalytic degradation of 50 ppm methylene blue is achieved over 150 mg /100 ml loading of Tm-doped ZnO at pH 9 within 6 h irradiation of sunlight. The degradation efficiency of Tm-doped ZnO is found to be greater than that of pure ZnO.

ZnO; Tm-doped ZnO; Zinc thulium oxalate; Photodegradation; Methyl orange.

"Tm-doped ZnO: an efficient catalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.150-162, May - 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRCP06027.pdf

"Tm-doped ZnO: an efficient catalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp150-162, May - 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRCP06027.pdf