Abstract
This study focuses on synthesizing zinc oxide/graphitic carbon nitride (ZnO/g-C3N4) nanocomposites for efficiently degrading methylene blue (MB) dye via photocatalysis. Egg white was used as a surfactant agent in the synthesis process. The nanocatalysts were characterized using several techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) tests, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. These ZnO/g-C3N4 nanocatalysts were then analyzed for their photocatalytic degradation of MB dye under direct sunlight. The results showed that the ZnCN2 sample achieved the highest efficiency, degrading 92% of MB within 60minutes. A pseudo-first-order kinetics was also confirmed for the photodegradation reaction. Radical scavenger studies revealed that superoxide and hydroxyl species were primarily responsible for the degradation of MB, and possible S-scheme photocatalytic mechanisms were proposed. Additionally, the ZnO/g-C3N4 composite exhibited excellent reusability and chemical stability, maintaining an unchanged degradation efficiency of MB after five cycles.
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