CoWO4 decorated ZnO nanocomposite: Efficient visible-light-activated photocatalyst for mitigation of noxious pollutants

Abstract

Herein, well-designed eco-friendly CoWO4/ZnO (CoW/Zn) nanocomposite was fabricated by straightforward hydrothermal method using beyond any harmful surfactants or template. The structure and morphology of samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and UV–Vis DRS analysis. The photocatalytic behavior of CoW/Zn nanocomposite was examined by the deterioration of ciprofloxacin (CIP) drug and methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. The CoW/Zn nanocatalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity to the elimination of CIP drug and MB dye with 93.13% and 98.65% of efficiency, respectively. Radical trapping experiment proved that the .OH species portray a major part in the photodegradation process. In addition, the CoW/Zn nanocomposite showed better repeatability efficiency. The present study developed a new strategy to fabricate the recoverable CoW/Zn nanocomposite for the degradation of hazardous organic moiety from the circumstance. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.