Fabrication of Novel ZnO@Mn3C photocatalyst for organic pollutants degradation via peroxymonosulfate activation

Organic pollutants are significant threat to water systems, therefore the present study design to produce innovative semiconductor photocatalyst for organic pollutants removal. XRD analysis confirmed the existence of crystalline phases of ZnO and Mn3C. Additionally, UV-Vis analysis indicated improved light absorption, with a bandgap of 2.18 eV for the ZnO@Mn3C nanocomposite. TEM analysis revealed a uniform distribution of Zn particles on Mn3C, while BET measurements indicated that ZnO@Mn3C exhibited a higher surface area (13.12 m2/g) than Mn3C (2.262 m2/g), thereby improving porosity and increasing active sites for photocatalysis. XPS verified the successful integration of ZnO with Mn3C, resulting in the formation of a heterojunction. The fabrication of ZnO@Mn3C nanocomposite has proved to be a successful approach to enhance durability and photocatalytic efficiency of Mn3C. Under visible light, the ZnO@Mn3C nanocomposite showed improved effectiveness in activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and degrading RhB as compared to pure Mn3C. The nanocomposite has the ability to enhance the e- and h+ pairs separation and has exceptional photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB. The higher photocatalytic activity of ZnO@Mn3C is attributed to its unique structure, which includes of microscopic pores on the surface that confine PMS to the interface. The nanocomposite has a significantly improved activity, demonstrating the complementary effects of Mn3C and Zn ions. The degradation of RhB was predominantly attributed to the participation of holes and important reactive radicals such as e-, center dot O2-, center dot OH/SO4 center dot-, center dot OH, and h+. The ZnO@Mn3C photocatalyst degrades organic pollutants (70-95 %) efficiently, showing promise for environmental remediation. Consequently, this study presents a strategy for developing novel photocatalytic material with remarkable photocatalytic efficiency in degrading organic pollutants from water systems.