Degradation Of Crystal Violet Dye Research Articles

Bitter apple peel derived photoactive carbon dots for the sunlight induced photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye

A simple and sustainable approach is described for the synthesis of photoactive carbon dots (CD) as an efficient photo-catalytic material. The photoactive-CD has been fabricated by simply charring the peels of Bitter Apple (BA). It is somewhat similar to the biochar synthesis. The photoactivity of BA peel derived photoactive-CD was tested under the illumination of sunlight for photodegradation of a pollutant organic dye, crystal violet (CV). A possible mechanism has been proposed for photodegradation of dye based on the trap experiment, where electron and holes were majorly responsible. BA peel derived photoactive-CD showed remarkable results concerning the photodegradation of CV (20 ppm in ~ 90 min) under sunlight illumination as compared to the dark conditions.

One-step synthesis of hydrophobic clinoptilolite modified by silanization for the degradation of crystal violet dye in aqueous solution.

Hydrophobic clinoptilolite (CP) was successfully synthesized via a silanization method using methyltriethoxysilane (MTS) or diethoxydimethylsilane (DMTS) as silane coupling agents. The structural and textural properties of the resultant hydrophobic CP were characterized using various methods. The effect of the amount of MTS or DMTS additive on the induction (nucleation) and growth of CP were also investigated, and the apparent activation energy values for induction and growth periods were calculated, suggesting that the induction period is kinetically controlled, while the rapid growth process is thermodynamically controlled. Meanwhile, DMTS modification enhanced the hydrophobicity of CP compared with its MTS-modified counterpart and pure CP. Finally, various ZnO-supported CPs were used as photocatalysts for the removal of crystal violet from aqueous solution, demonstrating that ZnO/hydrophobic CP has the largest adsorption capacity and best removal performance. These results suggest that hydrophobic CP, as an adsorbent or support, has the most potential for applications in separation and catalysis.

Influence of synthesis conditions on physico-chemical and photocatalytic properties of rare earth (Ho, Nd and Sm) oxides

Three different rare earth metal (samarium, neodymium and holmium) oxides were synthesized by adapting organic and inorganic routes. The influence of synthesis route over the physico-chemical characteristics of the rare earth metal oxides was studied using X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis, microscopy (FESEM and HRTEM), N2-physisorption and diffusive reflective ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy techniques. The XRD, electron microscopy and N2-physisorption results indicated that the samples synthesized by organic route possessed smaller crystallite/particle size and high surface area with macro size pores compared to the samples synthesized by inorganic route. The synthesis conditions also influenced the morphology of the samples. The samples synthesized by organic route possessed sheets like morphology with large spaces in between the sheets, in contrast highly agglomerated particles were observed in case of samples synthesized by inorganic route. All the synthesized rare earth oxides were utilized as photocatalysts for degradation of crystal violet dye under visible light irradiation. The samples synthesized by organic route exhibited high photocatalytic efficiencies. Samarium oxide synthesized using organic route offered the superior photocatalytic performance as this sample possessed low band gap energy, high surface area, pore volume and presence of surface reactive −OH groups. In addition, the synthesized rare earth metal oxide catalysts exhibited excellent recyclability for photocatalytic crystal violet degradation.

Single-pot solid-state synthesis of ZnO/chitosan composite for photocatalytic and antitumour applications

In recent years, hybrids prepared by coupling metal oxides with polymers have attracted great interest from researchers across multiple fields. Chitosan, a natural eco-friendly biopolymer, derived from the shells of crustaceans was chosen in the current work to synthesize ZnO/chitosan composite. A simple and effective solid-state method was employed for the synthesis of the composite. The successful formation of the composite was revealed from TGA, FT-IR, XRD and EDAX analyses. XPS and FT-IR analyses ascertained that ZnO and chitosan were linked through hydrogen bonding and coordinate bonding-type interactions. Since the composite displayed absorption edge in the visible light region, photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated by the degradation of crystal violet dye under visible light irradiation. The successful anticancer activity of the synthesized ZnO/chitosan composite was confirmed through its MTT assay against MCF-7 cells. ZnO/chitosan composite exhibited excellent antitumour activity towards the breast cancer cells compared to control ZnO. This work may open up a new, environmentally benign route to synthesize metal oxide-based composites that can be employed for biological and biomedical applications.

TiO2/Fe2O3: Type-I Heterostructures for Electrochemical Dye Degradation/Water Splitting Studies

In contemporary research, semiconductor composite materials, i.e., combination of different semiconductor materials, play an important role in extracting needful energy from existing renewable energy forms. For example, “heterostructure” composite assemblies facilitate faster charge carrier transport and therefore improve the efficiency of the electro-/photoelectrochemical processes/devices due to synergistic interaction and synchronized charge transport across material interfaces that have formed in composite assembly. Herein, we report type-I heterostructure consists of TiO2 and Fe2O3 for crystal violet dye degradation and water splitting studies via electrochemical route. The rationale in choosing the above materials (TiO2, Fe2O3) in the present study will not only account stability, nontoxicity, and high oxidation power but also facilitate the fast charge carrier movements due to proper band edge alignments. Synthesized TiO2, Fe2O3, and TiO2/Fe2O3 nanoparticle assemblies were fabricated as electrodes on titanium (Ti) and indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates and used as anode in electrochemical analysis. Complete decolorization was achieved with all the fabricated electrodes and higher rate of degradation was achieved with composite electrode (Ti/TiO2/Fe2O3) than individuals (bare Ti, Ti/TiO2, Ti/Fe2O3). Further, the same composite electrode shows better performance toward electrochemical water splitting in comparison with individual electrodes.

Template Assisted Microwave Synthesis of rGO-ZrO₂ Composites: Efficient Photocatalysts Under Visible Light.

In this research, cetyltetraethyl ammonium bromide template assisted microwave procedure was utilized to synthesize reduced graphene oxide-zirconia (rGO-ZrO₂) nanocomposites by varying the rGO composition (1, 2, 5 and 10 wt%). The physico-chemical characteristics of the nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffusive reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV-vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2-physisorption techniques. The results from XRD, Raman and DSC studies indicate that the increase in rGO concentration resulted in the delay in ZrO₂ crystallization temperature and alteration of ZrO₂ phase from monoclinic to tetragonal due to an effective incorporation of rGO nanosheets in ZrO₂ structure. The rGO loading also have an influence in the morphology of nanocomposites, as sample with 10 wt% rGO possessed unique monolith like morphology with macro pores. All the nanocomposites were utilized as photocatalysts for degradation of crystal violet dye in visible light irradiation. The rGO-ZrO₂ nanocomposites showed high reaction rates; the nanocomposite with 5 wt% rGO showed the superior photocatalytic performance as this sample possessed low band gap energy, high surface area, pore volume and presence of surface rGO-ZrO₂ interactive species as well as the reactive -OH groups. In addition, the synthesized nanocomposites exhibited excellent recyclability for photocatalytic degradation.

Controlled crystal phase and particle size of loaded-TiO2 using clinoptilolite as support via hydrothermal method for degradation of crystal violet dye in aqueous solution

TiO2-supported clinoptilolites (TiO2/clinoptilolites) were successfully synthesized with controlled crystal phase and particle size via hydrothermal method to enhance photocatalytic performance of TiO2. The effects of various parameters including temperature, acidity and concentration of Ti-containing solutions on the particle size, crystal phase and agglomeration of TiO2 supported on clinoptilolite were investigated thoroughly by characterizations of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), BET isotherm, UV–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer and Malvern zetasizer. The results demonstrate that increasing temperature and strengthen acidity are beneficial to enhance the crystallinity and particle size of supported TiO2. Increase in acidity also leads to more uniform distribution of TiO2 on the surface of clinoptilolite. The TiO2 nano-crystals deposited on the surface of clinoptilolite, exhibit rutile or anatase phase, strongly depending on the preparation procedure. The resultant TiO2/clinoptilolites could be used as photo-catalysts for the degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye in aqueous solution, showing a higher photo-catalytic activity with 89% degradation within 100 min. The effect of operational parameters, such as pH values of reaction media, dose of used catalyst, and concentration of CV dye on the CV degradation performance were investigated, in which the kinetics of CV dye degradation was found to follow the pseudo-first order kinetic model.

Preparation and performance of Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposite with enhanced photo-Fenton activity for photocatalysis by facile hydrothermal method

The photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet organic dye was carried out in presence of various percentages of composite catalyst under UV light irradiation. In this study Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by hydrothermal method, which is simple and cost effective. Using various standard characterization techniques, the physical and chemical properties of the prepared nanocatalyst were determined. The crystallinity and surface morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The primary absorption bands were observed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optical property which plays a major role in photodegradation was examined using UV–visible spectroscopy. The magnetic behavior of the sample was determined by vibrating sample magnetometer. The optimized and highly efficient Fe3O4/TiO2 (1:4) nanocomposite exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of crystal violet dye. The efficiency of the catalyst and its photocatalytic mechanism by introducing hydroxyl radical as an oxidizing agent have been explained in detail.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Obtained by Supercritical Antisolvent Precipitation for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Crystal Violet Dye

In this work, the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) photocatalyst from thermal decomposition of zinc acetate (ZnAc) nanoparticles obtained by supercritical antisolvent (SAS) precipitation was investigated. The optimization of calcination conditions of the SAS ZnAc was carried out, studying the effect of temperature (in the range 300–600 °C) on the production of ZnO nanoparticles. In particular, it was demonstrated that the organic residues in ZnO and its particle size, thus the specific surface area, strongly affect the photocatalytic performances. SAS micronization of ZnAc produces regular nanoparticles with a mean diameter of about 54.5 ± 11.5 nm, whereas unprocessed ZnAc is characterized by very large crystals. The experimental results evidenced that ZnAc prepared by SAS process calcined at 500 °C showed a regular nanometric structure (mean diameter: 65.0 ± 14.5 nm) and was revealed to be the best choice for the photocatalytic removal of crystal violet dye (CV). In fact, the photocatalytic activity performances of ZnO nanoparticles prepared by this route were higher with respect to that of ZnO from unprocessed ZnAc calcined at 500 °C (which is characterized by irregular tetrapods with mean size 181.1 ± 65.5 nm). The optimized photocatalyst was able to assure the complete CV decolorization in 60 min of UV irradiation time and a mineralization degree higher than 90% after 120 min of treatment time.

Facile Synthesis of HgO Nanoparticles Using Hydrothermal Method for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Crystal Violet Dye Under UV and Sunlight Irradiation

In this paper, different HgO nanoparticles were synthesized using the hydrothermal method in the absence and presence of tartaric acid, citric acid monohydrate, and succinic acid as low-cost capping agents. FT-IR, XRD, UV–Vis spectroscopy, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM were utilized for the characterization of the synthesized HgO samples. The results proved that the utilized organic acids have a significant effect on producing HgO nanoparticles with different crystallite sizes and energy gaps. The HgO sample, which was synthesized using citric acid monohydrate, was tested for the photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye. Complete photocatalytic degradation was obtained using HgO after 180, 120, 80, and 60 min in the presence of UV, sunlight, (sunlight and KBrO3), (sunlight and (NH4)2S2O8), and (sunlight and H2O2), respectively. Also, the pseudo-first-order rate constant of the degradation processes was increased in the following order; (HgO + UV) < (HgO + sunlight) < (HgO + sunlight + KBrO3) < (HgO + sunlight + (NH4)2S2O8) < (HgO + sunlight + H2O2). Besides, the crystal structure and catalytic activity of HgO remained unchanged even after it was reused three times. In addition, atomic absorption spectrophotometer measurements of the liquid phases of all catalytic experiments prove the absence of mercury. Hence, HgO is a stable photocatalyst and can be used repeatedly without sacrificing its degradation ability towards the crystal violet dye.

TiO2-GO nanocomposite for photocatalysis and environmental applications: A green synthesis approach

The present study reports a novel, simple, economic and ecofriendly method to synthesize Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles using green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Further, these TiO2 nanoparticles were deposited on GO sheets to form TiO2-GO nanocomposite. The crystalline information, morphological and optical properties of the synthesized TiO2-GO nanocomposite were studied using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. Crystal Violet (CV) dye was used as a model contaminant. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles and the TiO2-GO nanocomposite were evaluated by the degradation of CV dye in aqueous medium under visible light. The result showed that the TiO2-GO nanocomposite exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency compared to pristine TiO2 nanoparticles with three cycles reusability. The improved activity of the TiO2-GO nanocomposite might be attributed to enhanced charge separation, efficient charge transportation, extended light absorption range and increased adsorption of dye. This nanocomposite has a great potential in removing environmental contaminants and applicable in water purification.

Composite photocatalyst, tetragonal lead bismuth oxyiodide/bismuth oxyiodide/graphitic carbon nitride: Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity

Semiconductor photocatalysts that are robust and galvanized by visible light have been increasingly sought after, with lead bismuth oxyhalide (PbBiO2X)—which constitutes a perovskite-like semiconductor—receiving vast attention recently. We noted, after a relevant literature survey, that tetragonal lead bismuth oxyiodide/bismuth oxyiodide/graphitic carbon nitride (t-PbBiO2I/Bi5O7I/g-C3N4)-supported crystal violet (CV) dye photocatalytic degradation under irradiation with visible light has yet to be reported. The current study provides the report of t-PbBiO2I/Bi5O7I/g-C3N4 composite isolation and characterization realized through field-emission scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Catalytic performance observation revealed that using t-PbBiO2I/Bi5O7I/g-C3N4 resulted in an optimal reaction rate constant of 0.3518 h−1, a derivation exceeding the derivations for the photocatalysts t-PbBiO2I, Bi5O7I, g-C3N4, and t-PbBiO2I/Bi5O7I by 15, 6.6, 13.1, and 1.4 times, respectively. As demonstrated by the quenching effects associated with diverse scavengers, the electron paramagnetic resonance results revealed reactive O2− to have a major role in the CV dye degradation. The paper proposes and also describes possible photodegradation mechanisms. The method that was realized in this study is valuable for PbBiO2I/Bi5O7I/g-C3N4 synthesis and CV dye photocatalytic degradation for future applications in environmental pollution regulation.

Investigation of removal of crystal violet dye using novel hybrid technique involving hydrodynamic cavitation and hydrogel

In this work, intensification of removal of crystal violet (CV) dye in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) from aqueous media has been investigated by a novel hybrid treatment technique involving hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), and hydrogel adsorption. Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) combined with poly-acrylamide (PAM) hydrogel nano-composite was studied for CV dye removal. TiO2 nano-particles embedded poly-acrylamide (PAM) nano-composite hydrogel was prepared by using the ultrasound polymerization technique. Characteristics of TiO2 nano-particles and hydrogel nano-composite were studied by using XRD and TEM analysis respectively. Degradation of CV dye was carried out by hydrodynamic cavitation and subsequent adsorption of dye molecules were carried out in hydrogel adsorption column. Effect of different operating parameters such as inlet pressure to the cavitation device (orifice), the effect of TiO2 loading in PAM hydrogel, effect of hydrogel loading in the adsorption column was studied. For hydrogel loading of 5 g/L and inlet pressure to orifice at 3 bar, the hybrid system intensifies the removal of dye in terms of operating time compared to its individual operation. Studies revealed that the PAM-TiO2 hydrogel obeys the pseudo-second order kinetic model for CV dye adsorption. Two adsorption isotherm models such as Langmuir and Freundlich were evaluated in order to identify the adsorption behavior.

Enhanced photo and sono-photo degradation of crystal violet dye in aqueous solution by 3D flower like F-TiO2(B)/fullerene under visible light

3D flower like F-doped titanium dioxide bronze (F-TiO2(B)) and F-doped titanium dioxide bronze fullerene (F-TiO2(B)/fullerene) nanocomposite were facilely synthesized by using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and fullerene (C60) as precursors via combining ball milling - hydrothermal process. The structure of the synthesized photocatalysts has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The sonophotocatalytic and photocatalytic activities of the prepared catalysts were evaluated by performing the degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye in aqueous solution. The results reveal that the photocatalytic efficiency of photocatalysts considerably increases in the presence of ultrasonication. Also, they indicated that the photocatalytic and sonophotocatalytic degradation efficiencies for CV dye were more than 77% and 82% respectively, with only using 10 mg of the TiO2(B)/fullerene photocatalyst. As a result, the integration of fullerene into F-TiO2(B) with presented hybrid method, reduced the band gap from 3.01 eV for F-TiO2(B) to 2.6 eV for F-TiO2(B)/fullerene nanocomposite, leads to potential application in wastewater treatment.

Visible light photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye and electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid & glucose using BaWO4 nanorods

Barium tungstate (BaWO₄) rod like nanostructures were synthesized by slightly modified hydrothermal technique using sodium tungstate dihydrate (Na2WO₄. 2H2O) as tungstate ion source and barium nitrate [Ba(NO₃)₂] as barium ion source. The prepared nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy.BaWO₄ nanorods were explored for their photocatalytic activity through decomposition of crystal violet (CV) dye under visible light under different pH conditions (acidic to basic) from 2 to 12. It was observed that BaWO₄ completely degrades CV within 60 min at highest pH of 12. BaWO₄ nanorods were also investigated for electrochemical detection of important analytes such as glucose and ascorbic acid using cyclic voltammetric technique. These studies exhibit the potential of BaWO₄ nanostructures for applications in environmental sciences as well as biosensor areas.

Terbium-doped ZnS quantum dots: Structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic properties

Terbium (0, 2, and 4 at%)-doped ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized via a solvothermal method. The crystal structures of the synthesized QDs were determined to be zinc blend by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman analyses. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies revealed that particles with a mean size of 2–4 nm were formed. An X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS) examination disclosed the existence of terbium with a trivalent state in the ZnS host lattice. The absorption bands of all QDs were located around 325 nm (3.81 eV) and were higher than that of the bulk ZnS band gap (3.67 eV), consistent with the quantum confinement effect. The photoluminescence spectra of the terbium-doped samples displayed five emission peaks at 467 nm (5D4→7F3), 491 nm (5D4 → 7F6), 460 nm (5D4 – 7F5), 484 nm (5D4 – 7F4), and 530 nm (5D4 – 7F3), respectively. The terbium-doped QDs exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity during the degradation of crystal violet dye under UV-light illumination compared to the undoped ZnS QDs. These interesting properties of terbium-doped ZnS QDs are potentially useful for both luminescent and photocatalysis applications.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of CeO2–TiO2 nanocomposite for degradation of crystal violet dye and industrial waste effluent

This study presents the synthesis of CeO2–TiO2 nanocomposite and its potential application for the visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation of model crystal violet dye as well as real industrial waste water. The ceria–titania (CeO2–TiO2) nanocomposite material was synthesised using facile hydrothermal route without the assistance of any template molecule. As-prepared composite was characterised by SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, XPS for surface features, morphological and crystalline characters. The formed nanostructures were determined to possess crystal-like geometrical shape and average size less than 100 nm. The as-synthesised nanocomposite was further investigated for their heterogeneous photocatalytic potential against the oxidative degradation of CV dye taken as model pollutant. The photo-catalytic performance of the as-synthesised material was evaluated both under ultra-violet as well as visible light. Best photocatalytic performance was achieved under visible light with complete degradation (100%) exhibited within 60 min of irradiation time. The kinetics of the photocatalytic process were also considered and the reaction rate constant for CeO2–TiO2 nanocomposite was determined to be 0.0125 and 0.0662 min−1 for ultra-violet and visible region, respectively. In addition, the as-synthesised nanocomposite demonstrated promising results when considered for the photo-catalytic degradation of coloured industrial waste water collected from local textile industry situated in Faisalabad region of Pakistan. Enhanced photo-catalytic performance of CeO2–TiO2 nanocomposite was proposed owing to heterostructure formation leading to reduced electron–hole recombination.

Degradation and decolourization potential of an ligninolytic enzyme producing Aeromonas hydrophila for crystal violet dye and its phytotoxicity evaluation

This study deals the biodegradation of crystal violet dye by a ligninolytic enzyme producing bacterium isolated from textile wastewater that was characterized and identified as Aeromonas hydrophila based on the 16 S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The degradation of crystal violet dye was studied under different environmental and nutritional conditions, and results showed that the isolated bacterium was effective to decolourize 99% crystal violet dye at pH 7 and temperature 35 °C in presence of sucrose and yeast extract as C and N source, respectively. This bacterium also produced lignin peroxidase and laccase enzyme, which were characterized by the SDS-PAGE analysis and found to have the molecular weight of ~ 40 and ~ 60 kDa, respectively. Further, the GC-MS analysis showed that CV dye was biotransformed into phenol, 2, 6-bis (1,1-dimethylethyl), 2′,6′-dihydroxyacetophenone and benzene by the isolated bacterium and the toxicity of CV dye was reduced upto a significant level as it showed 60%, 56.67% and 46.67% inhibition in seed germination. But, after the bacterial degradation/decolourization, it showed only 43.33%, 36.67% and 16.67% inhibition in seed germination after 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Thus, this study concluded that the isolated bacterium has high potential for the degradation/decolourization of CV dye as well to reduce its toxicity upto a significant level.

Degradation of Crystal Violet Dye by Fenton and Photo-Fenton Oxidation Processes

Abstract The oxidative degradation of CV dye in aqueous media has been evaluated using Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2) and photo-Fenton (Fe2+/H2O2/UV) processes. Various operational parameters like H2O2 dosages, Fe2+ dosages and [CV]0 were optimized of both Fenton and photo-Fenton processes for the removal of CV dye from aqueous media. Kinetic results indicated that photo-Fenton process (k obs=0.0097 min−1, t 1/2=71.45 min) is more effective than Fenton process (k obs=0.0074 min−1, t 1/2=93.66 min). Second order rate constant of ˙OH radical with CV dye was calculated to be 3.96×109 M−1s−1. De-methylated organic intermediates of CV dye detected by LC-MS and some other intermediates like CH3COO−, HCOO−, NH4 + and Cl− were identified by ion-chromatography.

Visible light assisted photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye and electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid using a BiVO4/FeVO4 heterojunction composite.

A BiVO4/FeVO4 nanocomposite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The prepared heterojunction photocatalyst was characterized physically and chemically using XRD, SEM, EDX, XPS, BET, FT-IR, Raman, UV-vis DRS, EPR and photoluminescence techniques. BiVO4/FeVO4 was explored for its photocatalytic activity by the decomposition of crystal violet (CV) organic dye under visible radiation. This experiment showed that BiVO4/FeVO4 at a ratio of 2 : 1 completely degrades CV within 60 min. In addition, BiVO4/FeVO4 was investigated for the electrochemical detection of the useful analyte ascorbic acid using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry techniques. This work reveals the potential of the BiVO4/FeVO4 nanocomposite for applications in environmental disciplines as well as in biosensing.