Rapid and green combustion synthesis of nanocomposites based on Zn–Co–O nanostructures as photocatalysts for enhanced degradation of acid brown 14 contaminant under sunlight

Abstract It is highly favorable to introduce an efficacious magnetic separable structure as visible light photocatalyst for practical usages to eliminate organic contaminants. Herein, magnetic separable zinc–cobalt mixed-metal oxides as visible light photocatalysts were successfully fabricated utilizing diverse saccharides as eco-friendly kinds of capping agents and fuels, for the first time. The influence of saccharide kind and its dosage was explored to achieve the circumstances for creating the sample with more favorable morphology, catalytic capability, and size. The features of the nanostructured zinc–cobalt mixed-metal oxides were investigated, and its creation corroborated with several techniques. In the following, the catalytic decomposition activity of varied ZnCo2O4/Co3O4 micro/nanostructures for acid brown 14 as a water contaminant was explored, for the first time. The outcomes reveal that the nanostructured zinc–cobalt mixed-metal oxides as visible light photocatalysts could denote superb yield. The use of the binary composite nanostructures (ZnCo2O4-Co3O4) resulted in quick decomposition, with almost 94.3% of acid brown 14 being decomposed within 75 min. This work offers a feasible and eco-friendly way to create magnetic separable zinc–cobalt mixed-metal oxides as high potential visible light photocatalysts that can be apposite for environmental remediation.