Exploration of ZnMgS loaded with biosynthesized TiO2 as an efficient photocatalyst for solar energy mediated MB degradation

The research community has shown great interest in the energy-efficient and environmentally benign metal sulfide/TiO(2-)based heterojunction photocatalysis, and the sunlight-driven number of reaction sites to treat the aqueous dye pollutants. For this process, at the onset, the low-cost, eco-friendly biosynthesized TiO2 nanoparticles decorated ZnMgS nanocomposite is prepared via the hydrothermal method. Herein, the photocatalytic properties of ZnMgS and ZnMgS@TiO2 heterojunction photocatalysts along with structural, optical, and compositional properties are also intended to explore. X-ray diffraction (XRD) tool was applied to confirm the crystal structures of ZnMgS and TiO2, and the resulting crystal structures are hexagonal & anatase, respectively. The resulting pattern shows the single-phase structure of the synthesized materials. Similarly, we confirm with the Raman spectra also that there are no extra peaks and defects observed in ZnMgS, TiO2, and ZnMgS@TiO2 nanomaterials. Degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye was performed using the TiO2, ZnMgS, and ZnMgS@TiO2 photocatalysts and admire the photocatalytic activity under solar irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2-loaded ZnMgS heterojunction photocatalyst exhibited better results in actively degrading dye solution than the ZnMgS nanoparticles. Trapping experiments were conducted to identify the primary active species responsible for the degradation. The study also investigated the effect of dye concentration (10 ppm) and photocatalyst dosage (80 mg/L) on the photodegradation of MB in order to determine the maximum degradation efficiency. The enhanced degradation efficacy of ZnMgS@TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst could be attributed to the good separation, high photoabsorption, and fast transportation of photoexcited charge carriers. Furthermore, on repetition cycles of the degradation process, the ZnMgS@TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst maintained excellent reusability, good stability, and less self-degradation.

Automated summary

The research community is interested in metal sulfide/TiO(2-) based heterojunction photocatalysis for energy-efficient and environmentally benign treatment of aqueous dye pollutants. In this study, a low-cost and eco-friendly ZnMgS@TiO2 nanocomposite was prepared and its photocatalytic properties were investigated. The results showed that the ZnMgS@TiO2 photocatalyst exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity and good stability.