Preparation of BSA-ZnWO4 Nanocomposites with Enhanced Adsorptional Photocatalytic Activity for Methylene Blue Degradation

Abstract

This study explains the effect of adsorption on dye degradation using bovine serum alum and ZnWO4 based nanocomposite (BSA-ZnWO4). The synthesis of BSA-ZnWO4 was performed by a hydrothermal method involving the encapsulation of ZnWO4 with BSA. BSA-ZnWO4 was characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectral techniques. The photocatalytic experiments were performed under solar light. The dye removal was investigated under different reaction conditions. The photocatalytic efficiency of solar/BSA-ZnWO4 process was higher compared to solar/ZnWO4, dark/BSA-ZnWO4, solar/BSA, dark/ZnWO4, and solar light systems. The simultaneous adsorption and photodegradation process (A + P) was the most efficient process due to rapid destruction of adsorbed dye molecules. BSA-ZnWO4 showed superior degradation efficiency and reusability over ZnWO4 for MB degradation.