Exploration of ZnMgS loaded with biosynthesized TiO 2 as an efficient photocatalyst for solar energy mediated MB degradation

The research community has shown great interest in the energy-efficient and environmentally benign metal sulfide/TiO 2- based heterojunction photocatalysis, and the sunlight-driven number of reaction sites to treat the aqueous dye pollutants. For this process, at the onset, the low-cost, eco-friendly biosynthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles decorated ZnMgS nanocomposite is prepared via the hydrothermal method. Herein, the photocatalytic properties of ZnMgS and ZnMgS@TiO 2 heterojunction photocatalysts along with structural, optical, and compositional properties are also intended to explore. X-ray diffraction (XRD) tool was applied to confirm the crystal structures of ZnMgS and TiO 2 , and the resulting crystal structures are hexagonal & anatase, respectively. The resulting pattern shows the single-phase structure of the synthesized materials. Similarly, we confirm with the Raman spectra also that there are no extra peaks and defects observed in ZnMgS, TiO 2 , and ZnMgS@TiO 2 nanomaterials. Degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye was performed using the TiO 2 , ZnMgS, and ZnMgS@TiO 2 photocatalysts and admire the photocatalytic activity under solar irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 -loaded ZnMgS heterojunction photocatalyst exhibited better results in actively degrading dye solution than the ZnMgS nanoparticles. Trapping experiments were conducted to identify the primary active species responsible for the degradation. The study also investigated the effect of dye concentration (10 ppm) and photocatalyst dosage (80 mg/L) on the photodegradation of MB in order to determine the maximum degradation efficiency. The enhanced degradation efficacy of ZnMgS@TiO 2 heterojunction photocatalyst could be attributed to the good separation, high photoabsorption, and fast transportation of photoexcited charge carriers. Furthermore, on repetition cycles of the degradation process, the ZnMgS@TiO 2 heterojunction photocatalyst maintained excellent reusability, good stability, and less self-degradation.