Facile thermal synthesis of g–C3N4/ZnO nanocomposite with antibacterial properties for photodegradation of Methylene blue

Abstract Semiconductors as photocatalysts are ideal materials for wastewater remediation. A nanocomposite of g–C3N4 and ZnO was produced using a two-step in situ synthesis technique to achieve a better photocatalyst. The samples were assessed via UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared analysis, and x-ray diffraction. The photodegradation of methylene blue as an organic dye model was assessed to assess the photocatalytic characteristics of the fabricated samples. The antibacterial characteristics of synthesized samples were also investigated. The findings revealed that the photodegradation efficiency of the binary g–C3N4/ZnO systems was better than that of pure g–C3N4. Under irradiation, the photodegradation yield of g–C3N4/ZnO with a 15 wt.% of ZnO was up to 3.5 times better than that of pristine g–C3N4. The feature of enhanced separation of photoinduced holes and electrons resulting from heterojunction creation among g–C3N4 and ZnO surfaces might be attributed to this photocatalytic activity enhancement. The synthesized binary nanocomposites showed suitable antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.