Solar Light Irradiation Research Articles

Biodegradable cobalt and tin doped chitosan nanocomposites from structure tailoring to solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of toxic organic dyes.

The primary concern is the large amounts of emitted organic dyes through wastewater from numerous sectors. One of the most hazardous dyes commonly used in the industrial sector is methyl violet. It has been known to cause skin, gastric, and respiratory disorders. Therefore, a novel photocatalyst based on cobalt‑tin sulfide (Co3Sn2S2) was prepared using the solvothermal process. The photocatalyst was supplemented with Chitosan to prepare the cobalt tin sulfide-chitosan composite (Co3Sn2S2/Chi) for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl violet dye. Based on EDX analysis, a definite ratio of tin, cobalt, and sulfide was found. The FTIR of Co3Sn2S2/Chi revealed the characteristic bands of chitosan and metal sulfide bonds. SEM results showed that the particle had an irregular shape. The composite's crystalline structure was identified by XRD analysis as being 56 nm in crystalline size. The photocatalyst had a narrow band gap of 1.02 eV. At ideal conditions, the developed photocatalyst demonstrated greater degradation efficiency of methyl violet dye under solar light irradiation. The photocatalyst successfully decomposed 95 % of the methyl violet dye (40 ppm) within 70 min, operating at a pH of 9.0. This remarkable degradation was achieved by employing 0.25 g of the photocatalyst. The photocatalyst is more appealing and can be reused for up to three successive cycles. The photocatalyst is well-suited for "pseudo-first-order kinetics" to decontaminate methyl violet dye. The novel photocatalyst showed the most robust ability to decolorize methyl violet when exposed to sunlight and was a viable substitute for dye detoxification of organic dyes from wastewater.

Pure monoclinic n-BiVO4 prepared by modified sol–gel method for high efficiency photodegradation of methylene blue under solar light irradiation

Pure monoclinic n-BiVO4 prepared by modified sol–gel method for high efficiency photodegradation of methylene blue under solar light irradiation

Sustainable Scalable Mechanochemical Synthesis of CdS/Bi2S3 Nanocomposites for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

In the present study, a green, scalable, and environmentally friendly approach was developed for the fabrication of Bi2S3-decorated CdS nanoparticles with an efficient hydrogen generation ability from the water. As a sulfur source, thiourea was used. The process was completed in two stages: mechanical activation and thermal annealing. The presence of spherical CdS nanoparticles and Bi2S3 nanorods in the CdS/Bi2S3 nanocomposite was confirmed and proved by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDS, and TEM. The synthesized CdS/Bi2S3 nanocomposites were evaluated for their photocatalytic hydrogen evolution capabilities. The CdS/Bi2S3 photocatalyst exhibited 25% higher photocatalytic activity compared to CdS, reaching a hydrogen evolution rate of 996.68 μmol h−1g−1 (AQE 0.87%) after 3.5 h under solar-light irradiation.

Core–Shell–Satellite Au@CeO2–Pd Plasmonical Photocatalysts for Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling Reaction

ABSTRACTIntegration of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) metallic nanocrystals into photocatalysis is an intriguing approach for light‐driven organic transformations. However, uncertain direction of hot carriers is a grand challenge, which fails to take full advantage of the LSPR excitation. In this work, core–shell gold@ceria nanosphere–supported segregated palladium species (Au@CeO2–Pd) have developed to steer the light absorption capability and charge carrier migration. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the core–shell–satellite Au@CeO2–Pd exhibited efficient light harvesting and colossal activity in the Suzuki coupling reaction. The plasmon‐induced hot electrons overpassed the Schottky barrier at the Au@CeO2 interfaces and migrated from Au core to CeO2 shell accordingly. Subsequently, the photogenerated electrons and hot electrons migrated from Au@CeO2 core–shells to Pd, which acted as an electron acceptor. Detailed photocatalytic mechanism studies revealed that both photoexcited electrons and holes were the main active species involved in the photocatalytic Suzuki coupling reaction process. In particular, the diphenyl yield over Au@CeO2–Pd catalyst was ~1.7 times higher than that of core–shell–satellite Au@SiO2–Pd, where a 19‐nm‐thick SiO2 shell was introduced to prevent the migration of hot electrons. This distinctly certified that the hot electrons transfer in the core–shell–satellite Au@CeO2–Pd under illumination played an important role to drive Suzuki reaction. Overall, this design of core–shell–satellite Au@CeO2–Pd plasmonic photocatalyst has the potential in the field of photo‐driven organic transformations.

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants by randomly oriented 2D SnS2 nanostructures

Abstract In this study, we present a bottom-up solvothermal technique using tin tetrachloride pentahydrate (SnCl4.5H2O) and thioacetamide as precursors to synthesize SnS2 nanostructures. Different solvents including isopropyl alcohol, ethanol (EN), and ethylene glycol were used in the reaction to enhance the photodegradation efficiency of organic pollutants, Methylene Blue (MB), and Tetracycline (TC) in an aqueous medium under simulated solar light irradiation. The SnS2 nanostructures synthesized with these solvents were characterized using various structural, morphological, and optical techniques, including x-ray diffraction, RAMAN, field emission scanning electron microscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–Vis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The choice of solvent was found to significantly affect the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the SnS2 nanostructures. Notably, the sample synthesized with EN as the solvent displayed a unique morphology, enhanced light-harvesting ability, efficient charge carrier separation, and a larger specific surface area, all of which contributed to its superior photocatalytic activity. This sample achieved 99.9% degradation of MB and 95% degradation of TC within 20 and 40 min, respectively. The kinetic analysis revealed maximum rate constant (k) values of 0.15242 min−1 for MB and 0.060 95 min−1 for TC, as determined by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. We also discuss the plausible mechanism involving visible light-induced electron–hole pairs that generate reactive species, leading to the mineralization of dyes into H2O, CO2, and other gaseous products. The synthesized SnS2 nanostructures demonstrate significant potential for enhanced photocatalytic activity in organic pollutant degradation, underscoring their promise in addressing water pollution challenges.

Boosting photocatalytic hydrogen generation and Photo-Destruction of Tetracycline by In-Situ oxygen vacancies ZnIn2S4

In this study, ZnIn2S4 with oxygen vacancies was fabricated using NaBH4-assisted hydrothermal method to enhance the photocatalytic activities. The generated ZIS and ZISVo-x samples exhibited microspherical nanosheet structure and it is proven that NaBH4 could enhance the amount of oxygen vacancies in ZnIn2S4 as confirmed by XPS analysis. Upon solar light irradiation, ZISVo-5 sample performed a fast photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) within 10 min and simultaneously exhibited a hydrogen evolution amount of ∼ 12 mmol (AQE = 6.07 at 420 nm), which is 2.75 times higher than that of pristine ZnIn2S4 (4.4 mmol). The degraded products of TC were further identified using LC-MS. The excellent photocatalytic HER performance was attributed to the optimum amount of oxygen vacancies in ZISVo-5 sample and the reactive oxygen species of •OH, O2•-, and 1O2 as confirmed by ESR analysis under light irradiation played a vital role for the rapid degradation of TC by ZISVo-5.

Photocatalytic nanocomposite based on pyrene functionalized reduced graphene oxide in situ decorated with TiO2 nanorods

Hybrid nanocomposites based on 1-pyrene carboxylic acid (PCA) functionalized High Porous Reduced Graphene Oxide (HPRGO) sheets, decorated with oleic acid (OLEA)-coated TiO2 nanocrystals (NCs), have been obtained by means of an in situ colloidal route, starting from titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) precursor, in presence of OLEA surfactant and trimethylamino-N-oxide dihydrate (TMAO) base catalyst. The effect of the synthesis parameters, namely the PCA-HPRGO:TTIP w/w and the OLEA:TTIP molar ratio, on the morphological, spectroscopic and structural properties of the nanocomposites, has been explored, to achieve highly crystalline TiO2 nanostructures, with a reproducible control on morphology and crystalline phase (anatase). The TiO2 NCs have been found to effectively heteronucleate and grow onto the –COOH groups of the PCA molecules anchoring onto the HPRGO basal plane by aromatic π-π stacking interactions. The OLEA ligand coordinating their surface endows the nanocomposites with dispersibility in organic solvents, with a morphology dictated by the PCA coordinating sites, OLEA, and the mode of the TMAO supply to the reaction mixture. A significantly higher coating density has been found for the TiO2 in nanorod (NR) morphology, which organize in a uniform and high packed layout onto the PCA-HPRGO basal plane. The TiO2 NRs decorated PCA-HPRGO nanocomposites (TiO2 NRs/PCA-HPRGO) have been tested as photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl red (MR) and nalidixic acid (NA) under UV- and solar-light irradiation. Their photocatalytic activity has been evaluated against TiO2 reference and commercial nanostructures and discussed in terms of electronic level alignment between the hybrid nanostructure components, considering the role of the PCA anchoring molecule at the interphase.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of TiO2 with tunable oxygen vacancies induced by H2/N2 mixture treatment

Surface treatment can effectively modulate the surface properties of a photocatalyst to hasten the separation and transfer of photoinduced charges, ultimately achieving high photocatalytic performance. Herein, surface treatment of anatase-phase TiO2 prepared by a hydrothermal method was performed under H2/N2 mixed atmosphere. The experimental results demonstrate that roasting TiO2 in a H2/N2 atmosphere can effectively reduce partial Ti4+ to Ti3+, thereby facilitating the production of tunable oxygen vacancies (OVs) by disrupting Ti-O-Ti bonds. OVs can construct defective energy levels to bring about a decrease in the bandgap of TiO2 and an extension of light absorption range. Moreover, OVs remarkedly improve the separation of photoinduced charges of TiO2 and accelerate the photocatalytic reaction as active sites. The photocatalytic experimental results demonstrate that TiO2 exhibits the highest performance when roasting TiO2 in a H2/N2 atmosphere for 2 h, and the photocatalytic degradation rate constant of rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline (TC) on this sample under simulated solar light irradiation is 2.24 and 1.11 times higher than that on the reference TiO2, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for designing highly efficient photocatalysts for effective water pollution treatment.

Confinement of Z-scheme organic-inorganic heterojunction into mesoporous zeolite for efficient photocatalytic solar fuel generation

Organic-inorganic heterojunction has drawn increasing interest in photocatalytic CO2 reduction (PCR) by immobilizing molecular catalysts on inorganic semiconductors. However, it is difficult to control the size and dispersion of inorganic semiconductors during the assembling process, which restricts the PCR performance due to limited active sites and charge separation efficiency. Herein, we utilized a commercial mesoporous zeolite (SBA-15) to confine TiO2 via an in situ approach followed by assembling with a Co(II) tetra(4-carboxylphenyl) porphyrin (Co-TCPP). As a result, a Z-scheme organic–inorganic heterojunction of TiO2/SBA-15@Co-TCPP was obtained, which demonstrated superior PCR performance among simulated solar light irradiation. The optimized TiO2/SBA-15@Co-TCPP demonstrated improved solar fuel evolution (241.63 μmolco g−1) via PCR process when compared to bulk TiO2 or pristine Co-TCPP. The experiment results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the superior PCR performance induced by the extended light-harvesting region from the Z-scheme heterojunction, elevated PCR selectivity induced by the hydrophilicity of SBA-15 and molecular Co(II) center, enhanced charge separation owing to the highly dispersed nanosized TiO2 and inner-building electronic field. This work highlights the importance of mesoporous zeolite substrate in control of the PCR activity and selectivity, which hold great potential to develop multiple zeolite-based heterojunctions for efficient solar-driven fuel generation.

Synthesis, optical absorption, luminescence, chromaticity, and catalytic properties of undoped CuO and Gd-doped CuO nanostructures for LED devices and waste water treatment applications

The first objective of this present investigation is the co-precipitation synthesized of undoped and various concentrations of Gd-doping in the CuO material as a photocatalyst and methylene blue dye under passing solar light radiation, followed by obtaining their photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 88–96%. Using photoluminescence (PL) data of synthesized undoped and 1%, 3%, and 5 wt% Gd-doped CuO to make a chromaticity diagram for identifying the colour coordinates to scrutinize the applications of light-emitting devices. To trace the diffraction peaks, related crystal system, and vibrational bond of undoped and Gd-doped CuO materials by XRD and FT-IR studies. The morphological structure has been varied in each Gd-dopant concentration when compared to undoped CuO nanostructures through SEM studies. The aforementioned material has a narrow band gap and strong visible emission, as identified by UV–visible and PL spectra.

Band gap engineering of ADG/NiO nanocomposite and applications for photocatalytic reduction of nitrogen and photo-oxidation of dyes

The use of solar-driven semiconductor photocatalysis to solve energy and environmental issues is an intriguing and difficult subject. As a consequence, various types of photocatalysts have been developed subsequently to fulfill the requirements of photocatalysis.Since graphene was discovered, materials based on graphene have garnered considerable interest. The aloe-vera derived (ADG)/nickel oxide (NiO) nanocomposite is a notable example of a graphene derivative.The uniform structure of graphene fibre is altered by nickel oxide(NiO) which tunes its band gap and causes electronic arrangements within graphene that is requiste for photocatalysis. Herein, we have used a one-pot chemical approach to design aloe vera-derived graphene/nickel oxide nanocomposites (ADG/NiO), a novel photocatalyst that show high molar absorbance, suitable band gap of 2.68 eV, good photo-stability and reusability. Under solar light irradiation, the ADG/NiO nanocomposite exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity. It effectively fixed nitrogen into ammonia with an apparent quantum efficiency(AQE) of 0.64% and efficiently photo-oxidized dyes. Specifically, it achieved a dye removal efficiency of 94.2% for methylene blue (MB) and 86.41% for Eosin-B, converting them into harmless inorganic species like CO2 and H2O within just 90 minutes. The cost-effective ADG/NiO nanocomposite shows significant potential as a photocatalyst activated by solar light for practical applications such as the selective generation of NH3 and the purification of industrial wastewater containing dyes.

Unveiling the power of g-C3N4@CR composite photocatalyst in simulated solar light-assisted degradation of fast green dye and nitrophenol

A novel and efficient method has been developed for synthesizing the g-C3N4@CR composite using a simple mingling and heating technique. This method involves the decoration of one-dimensional carmine (CR) onto graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The light-harvesting composites produced through this process underwent characterization using various spectroscopic techniques, including UV, XRD, FT-IR, Raman, and XPS spectroscopy. To assess the photocatalytic activity of the g-C3N4@CR Composite, its degradation efficiency was investigated by examining its performance in degrading fast green and nitrophenol dyes under outdoor solar light irradiation. The mechanism of degradation for these dyes by the newly designed g-C3N4@CR composite was elucidated through degradation kinetics analysis, involving the determination of parameters such as half-life time, rate constant, and degradation efficiency.

Molten-salt-chemistry-assisted synthesis of heterostructured g-C3N4/BiOI nanocomposites with enhanced sunlight absorption properties for efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion

The g-C3N4 nanosheets coupled BiOI (g-C3N4/BiOI) nanocomposites with unique heterojunction structure and excellent wide-spectrum sunlight absorption properties have been developed via molten-salt-chemistry-assisted strategy. The heterostructured g-C3N4/BiOI shows enhanced solar to the thermal effect, improved electron mobility and carrier lifetime for efficient photocatalytic dye degradation. The engineered g-C3N4/BiOI catalyst exhibits outstanding photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) removal with 100 % degradation conversion and excellent stability under solar light irradiation, which is respectively 2.69 and 1.27 times higher than those of g-C3N4 and BiOI counterparts. The broad scope toward other dyes degraded by g-C3N4/BiOI and the generality of the molten-salt-chemistry-assisted strategy for synthesizing g-C3N4/BiOCl and g-C3N4/BiOBr with considerable photodegradation efficiency are proved. The analysis of kinetic behaviors, electron spin resonance, and nanosecond transient absorption spectra for structure-activity relationship, key intermediate of •O2− species, and excited state lifetime of g-C3N4/BiOI heterojunction material in the photocatalytic MO degradation processes are also demonstrated.

Design of novel Z-scheme g-C3N4/TiO2/CuCo2O4 heterojunctions for efficient visible light-driven photocatalyic degradation of rhodamine B

One of the most important environmental challenges that needs to be resolved is the industrial discharge of synthetic dyes. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and flower-like copper oxide (CuO)/copper cobaltite (CuCo2O4) nanocomposites were synthesized in order to synthesis an effective visible light driven photocatalyst that could degrade Rhodamin B (Rh.B) dye under simulated solar light irradiation. The SEM and TEM results verifies that the flower-like CuO/CuCo2O4 (CCO) structure and g-C3N4/TiO2 (g-CN/TO) generated a smart hybrid structure with superior g-CN distribution. According to the photocatalytic studies, g- C3N4/TiO2/CuO/CuCo2O4 (g-CN/TO/CCO) shows good photodegradation of Rh.B dye (99.9%) in minmal times (1 h) in CCO: g-CN/TO (2:1) ratio by Z-Scheme mechanism. The enhanced visible light absorption and effective electron-hole pair separation provided by the synergistic dispersion of CuO/CuCo2O4 and g-C3N4 can be attributed to the improved photocatalytic performances. These novel insights into g-CN/TO/CCO based photocatalysts are useful for treating industrial effluent.

Solar driven highly efficient photocatalyst based on Dy2O3 nanorods deposited on reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for methylene blue dye degradation.

In recent years, the demand for rare earth elements has surged due to their unique characteristics and diverse applications. This investigation focuses on utilizing the rare earth element dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3) for the photocatalytic oxidation of model pollutants under solar light irradiation. A novel RGO-Dy2O3 nanocomposite photocatalyst was developed using a solvothermal approach, Dy2O3 nanorods uniformly deposited onto reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including Brunner-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, high resolution - transmittance electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission-electron scanning microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy EIS techniques. The UV-visible diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis-DRS) studies revealed a band gap energy of 3.18eV and a specific surface area of 114 m2/g for the fabricated RGO-Dy2O3 nanocomposite. The RGO-Dy2O3 nanocomposite demonstrated a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 98.1% at neutral pH for methylene blue (MB) dye for the dye concentration of 10ppm. The remarkable photocatalytic performance was achieved within 60min under solar light irradiation. Reusability tests demonstrated stability, maintaining over 90% photocatalytic efficiency after three cycles. The EPR spectra and quenching experiments confirmed that photogenerated hydroxyl radicals significantly influence the photodegradation processes. The RGO-Dy2O3 nanocomposite photocatalyst, with its green, easy preparation process and recycling capabilities, presents an ideal choice for various applications. It offers a viable alternative for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in real wastewater, contributing to sustainable environmental remediation.

Unravelling the efficiency of CoAl-LDH / g-C3N4 nanosheets: Type-II heterojunction for photocatalytic hydrogen production and dye degradation under solar light irradiation

The generation of hydrogen fuel, and wastewater treatment according to solar-driven catalysis possesses considerable prospective for establishing a carbon-neutral and ecologically sound power infrastructure. Driven by this problem, we suggest in this study, adopting a simple impregnation method, a customized association of CoAl-LDH and graphitic carbon nitride (CN), a visible light active narrow and wide band gap semiconductors. Several characterization approaches were implemented to understand the CoAl-LDH@g-C3N4 (CACN) composites' physiochemical and optical features. The CACN hetero structural forms exhibited significantly improved solar light-induced photocatalytic H2 generation and dye pollutants decomposition in contrast with pristine materials. The most effective catalyst 5 wt% CoAl-LDH@g-C3N4 (5-CACN) generated the highest hydrogen (∼430.7 μmolg−1h−1), which is 11.9-fold H2 production efficiency compared with CN and depicted significant Brilliant black dye removal efficacy via photocatalytic degradation (up to ∼79%). This was primarily ascribed to the development of the Type-II CACN heterojunctions, which promoted the separation of charges and expanded the abundance of surface-active sites while absorbing the visible spectrum of solar light.

Anthocyanin can improve the survival of rice seeds from solar light outside the international space station

A purple-pigmented (purple) rice seeds containing an anthocyanin, a major class of flavonoids, and their isogenic non-pigmented (white) seeds were exposed outside of the international space station (ISS) to evaluate the impact of anthocyanin on seed viability in space. The rice seeds were placed in sample plates at the exposed facility of ISS for 440 days, with the bottom layer seeds exposed to space radiation and the top layer seeds exposed to both solar light and space radiation. Though the seed weight of both purple and white seeds decreased after exposure to outer space, growth percentages after germination of purple and white seeds in the top layer were 55 and 15 %, respectively, compared to those in the bottom layer 100 and 70 %, respectively. RNA analysis revealed that 1,590 and 1,546 seed-stored mRNAs (long-lived mRNAs) were degraded in the white seeds of the top and the bottom layers, respectively, whereas those of the purple seeds in the top and bottom layers were 548 and 303, respectively. These results suggest that anthocyanin protected seeds and safeguarded long-lived mRNAs from solar light and space radiation to increase the seed viability.

Fast Production of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Covalent Enzyme Immobilization with Boosted Enzymatic Catalysis by Solar‐Driven Photothermal Effect

Developing new enzyme‐immobilization systems to stabilize their dynamic structures and meanwhile enhance their catalytic activity is of great significance but very challenging. Herein, we design and fabricate a class of robust mesoporous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) via Michael addition‐elimination reaction. It is found that highly crystalline COFs can be produced in 10 min, which is attributed to the promoting effect of the intramolecular hydrogen bond activation. The COFs rich in hydroxyl groups can be facilely post‐modified by epibromohydrin to covalently immobilize enzymes with both high loading and activity. Furthermore, we create a solar‐driven photothermal‐promoted strategy by introducing photoactive azo groups to COF carriers, which can boost the enzyme catalytic performance (lipase) with much higher conversion of various racemic substrates and chiral resolution upon solar light irradiation. The heterogeneous biocatalysts also demonstrate exceptional reusability and stability. This work provides a green and energy‐efficient approach to facilitate the scale application of enzyme‐immobilized biocatalysts.

Fast Production of Covalent Organic Frameworks for Covalent Enzyme Immobilization with Boosted Enzymatic Catalysis by Solar-Driven Photothermal Effect.

Developing new enzyme-immobilization systems to stabilize their dynamic structures and meanwhile enhance their catalytic activity is of great significance but very challenging. Herein, we design and fabricate a class of robust mesoporous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) via Michael addition-elimination reaction. It is found that highly crystalline COFs can be produced in 10 min, which is attributed to the promoting effect of the intramolecular hydrogen bond activation. The COFs rich in hydroxyl groups can be facilely post-modified by epibromohydrin to covalently immobilize enzymes with both high loading and activity. Furthermore, we create a solar-driven photothermal-promoted strategy by introducing photoactive azo groups to COF carriers, which can boost the enzyme catalytic performance (lipase) with much higher conversion of various racemic substrates and chiral resolution upon solar light irradiation. The heterogeneous biocatalysts also demonstrate exceptional reusability and stability. This work provides a green and energy-efficient approach to facilitate the scale application of enzyme-immobilized biocatalysts.

Development of a new carbon xerogel/ZnO/BaSnO3 photocatalyst for solar and visible light photodegradation of salicylic acid

A novel carbon xerogel/ZnO/BaSnO3 photocatalyst was developed, characterized, and evaluated for the photodegradation of salicylic acid (SA) under solar and visible radiation. The development of the proposed photocatalyst involved the investigation of multiple synthesis parameters, aiming to optimize the photocatalytic activity of the ternary system. The best photocatalytic efficiency was obtained at 5 % w/w BaSnO3, 0.375 g of added tannin, and calcination temperature of 600 °C, yielding the 0.375CX/ZnO/BaSnO3 5 % 600 °C photocatalyst. After thorough characterization, it was concluded that the ternary materials are composed of a mixture of crystalline ZnO and BaSnO3 structures and carbon xerogel (CX). Additionally, the ternary materials displayed significant capacity to absorb visible radiation, mostly due to CX addition. Morphology-wise, the 0.375CX/ZnO/BaSnO3 5 % 600 °C was composed of nodular and polyhedral nanometric particles, displaying higher surface area when compared to materials without CX. Through chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it was determined that the optimized ternary material achieved the highest photocurrent generation and lowest charge transfer resistance among the materials evaluated, indicating a superior photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic tests demonstrated the superiority of the ternary system in the degradation of SA under solar and visible light irradiation, achieving 93 % and 52.3 % degradation after 5 h, respectively. The superior mineralization of SA (72.2 %) achieved by the optimized ternary material under solar radiation further demonstrated its increased efficacy. The suppression methodology allowed for the identification of the hydroxyl radical as the major active species in the SA degradation. A Z-type heterojunction was proposed for the ternary system, based on the staggered band alignment between ZnO and BaSnO3 and the role of CX as a solid-state mediator, possibly leading to effective charge separation and enhanced redox activity. Phytotoxicity tests showed favorable Lactuca sativa growth in SA solutions treated with 0.375CX/ZnO/BaSnO3 5 % 600 °C (especially under solar radiation), indicating reduced toxicity.