Navid Assi - Department of Chemistry, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Amir Abdolahi Basir - Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Mehrdad Sharif - Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

ZnO and ZrO(2) photo catalysts were synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion method. The products were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Structural and morphological properties of nano particles were investigated and the average crystalline size of ZnO and ZrO(2) was obtained 44 and 51 nm, respectively. Also, photo catalytic degradation of Nitro phenol from aqueous solution by using nano scale ZnO and ZrO(2) powders under UV light irradiation was studied and degradation of Nitro phenol was 98% for ZnO in 40 minutes and 83% in 100 min for ZrO(2).

Nitro phenol; Sol-gel auto combustion method; ZnO; ZrO(2); Photo catalytic degradation