Biomass Mediated Green Synthesis of ZnO/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanocomposite and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for the Decolorization of Rhodamine B under Visible Light

Abstract

The synthesis of zinc oxide and nano-composite ZnO/TiO2 was successfully prepared using lignin extracted from an oil palm empty fruit bunch. The synthesized materials i.e. zinc oxide and nano-composite ZnO/TiO2 were characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystalline nature of ZnO and ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite is indicated by XRD analysis and SEM images. The result of UV–vis spectrophotometry shows the red shift occurred in the case of ZnO/TiO2 composite. The nano range of the particles was demonstrated by the TEM images. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposite ZnO/TiO2 was tested and compared to ZnO for the decolorization of rhodamine B. The decolorization results indicate that ZnO/TiO2 nanocomposite showed better photocatalytic activity under visible light than ZnO as well as TiO2.