Improved photocatalytic dye degradation and water splitting efficiency of Bi-doped ZnO/MnWO₄ p-n nano heterojunction- R. Bhuvanesh Kumar,
- D. Krishnabagavathi,
- P. Velusamy &
- M. Sathiya
Abstract
The rising environmental pollution and global warming, primarily caused by burning fossil fuels and industrial waste, are pressing international issues. Photocatalytic degradation offers a cost-effective, sustainable, and renewable solution. Zinc oxide (ZnO) was chosen as the photocatalyst in this study due to its low cost, high yield, and intense photocatalytic activity when exposed to UV light, making it one of the most promising materials. This research synthesised Bi-doped ZnO/MnWO₄ p-n heterojunction nanocomposites using calcination and hydrothermal methods. Under visible light, the ZnO/MnWO₄ nanocomposite exhibited significantly enhanced activity in the degradation of various organic pollutants, including Crystal Violet (CV), compared to bare ZnO and MnWO₄ photocatalysts. Among all the synthesised photocatalysts, the Bi-doped ZnO/MnWO₄ nanocomposite demonstrated the highest level of photocatalytic activity, over 2.1 times higher than that of pure ZnO. Also, we have investigated the electrochemical performance of the prepared material through Cyclic voltammetry (CV), Linear sweep Voltammetry (LSV), and Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The data obtained is in favour of high HER and OER activity. The synthesised materials were characterised using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Ultraviolet每Visible (UV每Vis) spectroscopy. This work highlights the potential of Bi-doped ZnO/MnWO₄ nanocomposites as highly efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants and hydrogen energy production, offering a viable solution to environmental pollution challenges.
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Theoretical study of reaction of urea with methylamine: nucleophilic addition pathway
