Study of photocatalytic performance of green synthesis V2O5/ZnO nanocomposite for sunlight-driven degradation of acid orange 7 dyes

Current efforts to reduce the prevalence of disease and environmental pollution around the world face substantial hurdles in the reclamation and reuse of wastewater from the food, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. Considering this, the present study aimed to develop a V 2 O 5 /ZnO nanocomposite and evaluate its photocatalytic performance in regard to the degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) dye under visible light. The study presents a new simplified, eco-friendly approach for synthesizing a V 2 O 5 /ZnO nanocomposite using Petroselinum crispum leaf extract. This technique eliminates the need for precipitating agents and complex solvents, lowering both environmental impacts and residual treatment costs. The structural, optical, and morphological features of the nanocomposite were investigated via techniques such as XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, FTIR spectroscopy, BET analysis, EIS, PL spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The identified diffraction peaks corresponded to two distinct crystal phases; the hexagonal structure of ZnO and the orthorhombic structure of V 2 O 5 suggesting the successful integration of ZnO and V 2 O 5 into the composite. The bandgap was 2.83 eV, enhancing absorption in the visible light region. The V 2 O 5 /ZnO nanocomposite displayed excellent photocatalytic degradation of AO7 (95%) for five cycles over 150 min of sunlight exposure, showing remarkable recyclability. This can be attributed to the increased effective surface area arising from the uniform mixture of V 2 O 5 and ZnO, together with a decrease in the bandgap of the synthesized nanocomposite. Additionally, the outcomes of the XRD and FTIR examinations conducted after multiple applications indicated that the product exhibits stability and can be utilized repeatedly without compromising its photodynamic efficiency. The findings demonstrate the significant potential of the developed V 2 O 5 /ZnO nanocomposite in the degradation of AO7 under visible light irradiation.