Construction of ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposites for enhancing the visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of alizarine yellow R dye.

AIM: The current research study focuses on the construction of effective zinc oxide/tin dioxide (ZnO/SnO2) nanocomposites The synthesized nanocomposites were subsequently implemented as photocatalyst materials for the elimination of toxic alizarine yellow R (AYR) in aqueous solution under visible light. METHOD: The synthesis of ZnO/SnO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst was carried out via hydrothermal method combined with ultrasonic-assisted calcination with some modifications. RESULTS: Various analytical methods, such as XRD, SEM-EDS, XPS, and UV-DRS analysis, validated the effective fabrication of the nanocomposites. The findings exhibited the enhanced elimination of AYR with 98.07% degradation using the ZnO/SnO2 photocatalyst, significantly surpassing the degradation rates of pure ZnO (63.10%) and SnO2 (52.47%) over a 60-minute timeframe under optimal conditions. The rate constant for ZnO/SnO2 (0.0651 min⁻¹) was markedly superior to that of pure ZnO (0.0170 min⁻¹) and SnO2 (0.0125 min⁻¹). The reduced bandgap energy of the ZnO/SnO2 photocatalyst relative to pure ZnO and SnO2 enhanced its degradation potential for AYR degradation through enhancing the visible light absorption. The research examined the influence of various reaction variables and intervening anions on AYR degradation. Additionally, the radical scavenging experiments confirm the presence of reactive radicals involved in the presence of AYR degradation. CONCLUSION: The ZnO/SnO2 photocatalyst showed remarkable reusability and preserved its photocatalytic effectiveness after undergoing five consecutive cycles that further confirmed the significant potential of the synthesized ZnO/SnO2 photocatalyst in eliminating AYR-contaminated water.