Effectual visible-driven photocatalytic performances on brilliant green dye by reduced graphene oxide–zinc oxide nanocomposite

Using a straightforward chemical precipitation approach, this study successfully synthesized an effective photocatalyst, rGO-ZnO nanocomposite. A variety of spectroscopic, structural, and morphological characterization techniques are employed to further characterize the synthesized nanocomposite and explore its physicochemical properties. The formation of rGO-ZnO nanocomposite including the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO was demonstrated by the diffraction data. According to the XRD data, the estimated crystallite sizes were 35 nm and 33 nm for pristine ZnO nanoparticles and rGO-ZnO nanocomposite, respectively. The XRD data and the spectroscopic results were found to be closely aligned. Morphological study unveils that the zinc oxide nanoparticles are aggregated and decorated on reduced graphene oxide sheets. By employing brilliant green (BG) dye as a model for aquatic pollutants, synthesized nanocomposite’s photocatalytic activity was examined. The nanocomposite displayed significant catalytic activity (96.5%) in degrading the BG dye in visible light. Furthermore, the scavenger experiment demonstrated that the primary active species throughout the degradation pathway were superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Compared to the pristine ZnO nanoparticles (41%), the rGO-ZnO nanocomposite exhibited a greater degrading efficiency in visible light. The exceptional photocatalytic capabilities of the prepared nanocomposite coupled with its longevity suggest that it could be a competent scalable photocatalyst for the photodegradation of dyes in waste effluents from industries. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.).