Structural and Optical Properties of α-Fe 2 O 3 /Zno Nanocomposite in Wastewater Treatment

This study aims to investigate the structural and optical characteristics of pure α-Fe₂O₃,ZnO, and α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO nanocomposite synthesized by hydrothermal method and their application in the purification of dye-contaminated water. Synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, UV, and FTIR. XRD pattern of α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO nanocomposite revealed two distinct phases corresponding to α-Fe₂O₃ and ZnO in synthesized nanocomposite. The characteristic absorbance peaks of α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO nanocomposite were observed in UV visible spectra with a bandgap of 2.50 eV. The photocatalytic properties of as-synthesized nanocomposite have been evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. Compared to pure metal oxides (α-Fe₂O₃ and ZnO), photodegradation efficiency of nanocomposite for methylene blue dye was found to be enhanced. i.e., 78% in 105 minutes. This improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to efficient charge transfer in the nanocomposite, which in turn can be attributed to the reduced recombination probability of photo-induced carriers. The as-synthesized nanocomposite could be appropriate for wastewater treatment dye.