Synthesis and characterization of ZnO/BiVO4 nanocomposites as heterogeneous photocatalysts for antimicrobial activities and waste water treatment

This current study highlights the formation of ZnO/BiVO4 (1-7 wt %) nanocomposites for exploring photocatalytic performance. ZnO/BiVO4 nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method which is cost-effective and simple. Different techniques such as SEM, XRD, UV–visible, FTIR and PL spectroscopies have been used to examine the synthesized nanocomposites. The UV–Vis spectra of synthesized nanocomposites shows that their bandgap values lie in the visible region i.e. 2.5–2.9 eV while SEM explores the crystalline morphology of ZnO/BiVO4-5 at the nanoscale regime. The presence of various functional groups has been observed by FTIR spectroscopy. When compared to pristine ZnO and BiVO4, the ZnO/BiVO4 composite has lower recombination rate of electron-hole pair. The synthesized nanoparticles have been tested against a panel of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and fungal strains (Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani) to determine their antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the reusability and trapping experiment of ZnO/BiVO4-5 composites were carried out to check the stability of the catalyst. Comparative studies were carried out to determine the best photocatalysts for RhB dye and Tetracycline(TC) while the removal efficiency for RhB dye is 95 % and 87 % for Tetracycline. Quite interestingly, it was observed that the fabricated nanocomposites showed the best photocatalytic efficiency for wastewater model such as organic dyes polluted water and pharmaceutical wastewater to check the photocatalytic degradation efficiency by synthesized nanocomposites.