Performance and Mechanism of Biosynthesised ZnO Nanoparticles-Based Gum Arabic in Electrocatalysis and Photoelectrocatalysis Degradation of Indigo Carmine Dye

Abstract The development of inexpensive alternatives and high-performance electrocatalysts is essential to advancing green energy. This paper discusses the two main applications of green energy in electrochemical reactions for pollutant degradation. Developing efficient electrocatalysts requires an understanding of the mechanisms underlying electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis, as well as the ability to predict their performance. Catalysis is one of the most significant applications of zinc oxide, which is widely utilised in various industries. ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are effective for decomposing dangerous organic compounds and maintaining thermal stability. At the same time, it’s environmentally friendly. The scientific community has considered ZnO-NPs as a “future material”. Moreover, proposed mechanisms for the degradation of Indigo carmine dye (IC) include electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis. Changes in structure under an electric field and the effects of the photo-electrolyte on the degradation process are also discussed. 0.001 Acacia gum/ZnO-NPs showed optimum electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic efficiency up to 98% and 99.5% within 16 and 12 minutes, with rate constants of about 0.178 and 0.358 min − 1, respectively.