One step facile green synthesis of ZnFe2O4-ZnO Nanocomposite: Efficient photocatalytic activity towards organic dyes under visible light and photoluminescence applications

Abstract

One of the major risks to the ecosystem is the pollution of water resulting from organic dyes. For scientists, the elimination of dyes from water has remained a challenge. The development of heterostructure photocatalysts featuring enhanced photogenerated charge carriers has attracted significant interest in recent times. The development of a trustworthy, reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly process for the fabrication of photocatalysts is the main motivation for this research project. In this research work, we presented the easy, affordable green solution combustion process for synthesizing ZnFe₂O₄-ZnO nanocomposite (NCs) using Btea monosperma leaves extract. The synthesized heterostructure is extensively characterized using XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis, SEM EDX, and PL Spectroscopy. Studies on photoluminescence emission were conducted, and the CIE diagram revealed green emission. The characteristic green emission of ZFO NCs facilitates the tracing of LFPs on a variety of surfaces. Hence, ZFO NCs may therefore have use in the field of forensic sciences. Under visible light, the photocatalyst exhibits a remarkable 95 % degradation efficiency for Rose Bengal dye. Additionally, the ZnFe₂O₄-ZnO heterostructure’s reusability was examined, and even after four cycles, the level of photocatalytic activity did not drop much. Therefore, it is a potential photocatalyst for the processing of organic colours.