CoWO4 decorated ZnO nanocomposite: Efficient visible-light-activated photocatalyst for mitigation of noxious pollutants

Herein, well-designed eco-friendly CoWO4/ZnO (CoW/Zn) nanocomposite was fabricated by straightforward hydrothermal method using beyond any harmful surfactants or template. The structure and morphology of samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and UV-Vis DRS analysis. The photocatalytic behavior of CoW/ Zn nanocomposite was examined by the deterioration of ciprofloxacin (CIP) drug and methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. The CoW/Zn nanocatalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity to the elimination of CIP drug and MB dye with 93.13% and 98.65% of efficiency, respectively. Radical trapping experiment proved that the.OH species portray a major part in the photodegradation process. In addition, the CoW/Zn nanocomposite showed better repeatability efficiency. The present study developed a new strategy to fabricate the recoverable CoW/Zn nanocomposite for the degradation of hazardous organic moiety from the circumstance.

Automated summary

In this study, a well-designed eco-friendly CoWO4/ZnO nanocomposite was successfully fabricated using a simple hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic activity of the CoW/Zn nanocomposite was demonstrated by its high degradation efficiency towards hazardous organic substances, such as the CIP drug and MB dye. The study also revealed the significant role of .OH radicals in the photodegradation process, and the CoW/Zn nanocomposite showed good repeatability efficiency.