Photocatalytic degradation of dye contaminants using ZnO-Hematene composite under UVA and visible light exposure

Abstract A novel Hematene 2D nanosheets-ZnO (ZnO-Hm) composite was successfully synthesized via a facile liquid exfoliation method. AFM, TEM and UV–vis techniques confirmed the successful exfoliation of Hematene and the formation of the composite. The ZnO-Hm composite exhibited enhanced visible light absorption compared to pure ZnO, attributed to the synergistic interaction between the two materials, leading to improved photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B under visible or UVA irradiation. ZnO-Hm composite exhibited complete degradation of dyes under UVA light and significantly improved degradation under visible light. Kinetic analysis revealed improved degradation rate and half-life constants for the ZnO-Hm composite compared to pure ZnO. These results suggest the potential of ZnO-Hm composite for efficient and economical water treatment applications.