New photocatalytic materials obtained from the recycling of alkaline and Zn/C spent batteries

Abstract

Several phases with variable stoichiometry ZnxMn3-xO4 (with x = 0.25, 0.85 and 1) and ZnO have been obtained from the black mass, a widely generated residue of wasted alkaline batteries. The obtained samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy showing results consistent with the stoichiometry obtained from chemical analysis. The study of the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) under UV radiation demonstrates the photocatalytic behavior in all samples obtained, reaching degradation percentages higher than 70% and 50%, respectively.