Self-assembled porphyrin on coral-like ZnO nanoplates: A novel hybrid for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under simulated sunlight

This study uses a straightforward, surfactant-free, non-covalent self-assembly method to present the controlled synthesis of tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) nanofibers on ZnO nanoplates. The resulting ZnO/TCPP nanocomposites were meticulously characterized using SEM, XRD, EDS, UV–vis, FTIR, and BET spectroscopy, revealing a coral-like ZnO nanosheet structure embedded within a TCPP nanofiber matrix. These nanocomposites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B in aqueous solutions, significantly outperforming individual ZnO nanoplates and TCPP nanofibers. The composite material benefits from synergistic photocatalytic activity, with reduced bandgap energies of 2.20 eV for TCPP and 2.68 eV for ZnO. Under simulated sunlight, the ZnO/TCPP catalyst achieved an impressive 99.02 % Rhodamine B removal within 90 minutes. Additionally, a detailed mechanism for the photocatalytic degradation process was proposed, highlighting the potential of this novel hybrid material for environmental remediation applications.