Ternary Wide Band Gap p-Block Metal Semiconductor ZnGa2O4 for Photocatalytic Benzene Degradation

Nanocrystalline ternary wide band gap p-block metal semiconductor ZnGa 2 O 4 was successfully prepared via a coprecipitation method. The as-prepared sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, N 2 -sorption BET surface area, UV−vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. ZnGa 2 O 4 showed superior photocatalytic activity and stability for benzene degradation as compared to commercial TiO 2 . However, its activity was lower than another wide band gap p-block metal semiconductor photocatalyst Sr 2 Sb 2 O 7 . The difference in the photocatalytic activity between ZnGa 2 O 4 and Sr 2 Sb 2 O 7 can be well explained by their different geometric structures. This result gave some new insight in the development of new ternary wide band gap p-block semiconductor photocatalysts for benzene degradation.