Conductive PANI/ZnO Nanohybrid Photocatalysts: A Simple One-Step Synthesis and Mechanistic Insights into Dye Degradation

This study investigates the synthesis of polyaniline/zinc oxide (PANI/ZnO) nanocomposite photocatalysts by a one-step in-situ polymerization method under acidic conditions. The main objective is to analyze the impact of different acids on the synthesis process. The main purpose of these PANI/ZnO nanocomposites is to facilitate the degradation of dyes by photodegradation. The nanocomposites were synthesized using oxidative chemical polymerization of the monomer accompanied by ZnO-NPs. Different quantities of ZnO-NPs were used to investigate their impact on the characteristics of PANI. The nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM analysis showed that nanofibers were present in the PANI/ZnO composites. The XRD findings also suggested that zinc oxide nanoparticles were evenly distributed inside the polyaniline matrix and on its surface. Photodegradation experiments were performed on brilliant green (BG) dye in water solutions utilizing the nanocomposites under ultraviolet irradiation. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposites demonstrated robust photocatalytic efficacy, with a clearance rate of more than 95% for vivid green dye in about 50 min of UV irradiation. The kinetic behavior of BG photodegradation is more accurately described by the pseudo-second-order model for all catalysts. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposites exhibit enhanced photodegradation capabilities in comparison to the pure ZnO nanoparticles.