Synthesis of ZnO/Bi(2)O(3) nanocomposite for efficient degradation of organic dye pollutants under visible-light

In the present work, ZnO/Bi(2)O(3) composite has been successfully synthesized using the precipitation method. The obtained sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The FE-SEM micrograph demonstrated that the particle size of the surface of nanocomposite was about 43 nm. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO/Bi(2)O(3) composite was evaluated by decolorization of methylene blue and congo red dye solutions under UV-Vis and visible irradiation. It was found that about 95% of the congored solution was decolored over the nanocomposite after 60 min under visible light. Also, the reusability of prepared nanocomposite was investigated through successive 4 cycles of experiments. Therefore, the synthesized ZnO/Bi(2)O(3) nanocomposite is a suitable photocatalyst to use under the visible light.