Synergic effect of Type II ZnO/BiVO4 magnetic heterostructures for visible light-driven degradation of bisphenol A and methyl violet

Construction of an effective heterojunction for unimpeded flow of photogenerated charges and their prolonged separation is imperative for environmental photocatalysis. Herein, we have designed an efficient magnetic ZnO/BiVO4 type-II heterostructure, which was employed for proficient degradation of persistent methyl violet dye with an efficiency of 97.6% in 90 min and a hazardous organic pollutant, namely, bisphenol A. UV-DRS and photoluminescence studies demonstrated that the fabricated nanocomposite exhibited effective light absorption and prolonged charge separation, thereby resulting in high photocatalytic efficacy under visible light irradiation. The efficacy of developed magnetic ZnO/BiVO4 was also compared with pristine BiVO4 and undoped magnetic ZnO, which indicated that the constructed heterostructure displayed approximately threefold and sixfold activity in contrast with bare BiVO4 and undoped magnetic ZnO nanoparticles, respectively. Radical trapping studies, ESR analysis along with GC-MS analysis were conducted to elucidate the mechanistic pathway during the photodegradation process. This work provides a rational technical approach and research ideas for photocatalytic degradation of harmful organic pollutants in an environment-friendly manner by employing energy-efficient LEDs. Besides, good recyclability of catalyst makes it a promising candidate for large-scale applications.