A homogeneous Zr based polyoxometalate coupled with Ppy/PTA for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

The synthesis of polymers by an oxidation-mediated approach effectively resulted in the generation of a polymer/phosphotungstic acid-zirconia nanohybrid. Characterization techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, and DRS–UV, were investigated to the synthesized material. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and high resolution scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphological analysis of the synthesized nanocomposites. The results of the morphological analysis reveal that the polymer developed on the outside of the nanoparticles, increasing its ability to absorb visible light. With the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the chemical composition was assessed. By degrading pollutants like methylene blue (MB) dye and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the catalytic performance of a nanohybrid fabricated from polypyrrole (PPy) and phosphotungstic acid zirconia under visible light stimulation was examined. According to the observation, PPy/PTA-ZrO 2 (1:3) breaks down MB dye more effectively, up to 94%, whereas PPy/PTA-ZrO 2 (2:1) performs better, breaking down 2,4-D up to 90%. According to the observed results, polymer nanohybrids have been proven to be beneficial in photodegrading different types of pollutants when exposed to visible light. The polymer hybrid is more appropriate for environmental remediation due to its low cost, ease of manufacture, and increased photocatalytic activity.