Improving the sonocatalytic performance of good crystallinity ZrO₂ nanocomposite through graphene addition

In this study, the catalytic performance of the ZrO₂ nanoparticles is enhanced by combining ultrasonic radiation with graphene material addition. The structural, morphological and surface properties of sol-gel synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles with three different annealing temperatures (350°C, 550°C, and 750°C) were investigated using various characterization methods, including X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscope measurements and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements. The result show that if the annealing process does not take place, ZrO₂ nanoparticles have an amorphous structure. The formation of the crystalline structures of the tetragonal phase of the nanoparticle begins at an annealing temperature of 550°C. The highest sonocatalytic performance of nanoparticles is achieved at an annealing temperature of 550°C. The ZrO₂/graphene nanocomposites were produced via co-precipitation methods at all annealing temperatures. The sonocatalytic activities in the presence of ZrO₂/graphene nanocomposite indicate an enhancement, compared with ZrO₂ nanoparticles. ZrO₂ with and without graphene composites shows a level of stability that would allow reuse. A reasonable catalysis mechanism of ZrO₂ with and without graphene composites is proposed.