Effective Fluorescence Detection of Hydrazine and the Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye Using CdO-ZnO Nanocomposites

Abstract

CdO-ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized using a simple solution approach, and several characterization approaches were used to examine the morphological, structural, phase, vibrational, optical, and compositional properties of these CdO-ZnO nanocomposites. The FESEM study revealed the development of aggregates ranging in size from 250 nm to 500 nm. These aggregates were composed of various CdO-ZnO nanoparticle shapes and sizes. XRD investigation revealed hexagonal wurtzite and cubic phases in ZnO and CdO, respectively. The crystal size was 28.06 nm. The band-gap energy of the produced nanocomposites was calculated using UV-Vis analysis and was determined to be 2.55 eV. The CdO-ZnO nanocomposites were employed as a promising material for the effective fluorescence detection of hydrazine and for the quicker photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. Within 120 min of UV light exposure, the RhB dye was 87.0% degraded in the presence of the CdO-ZnO nanocomposites and the degradation process followed zero-order and pseudo-first-order kinetics. Based on 3σ IUPAC criteria, the limit of detection for fluorescent hydrazine sensing was 28.01 µM. According to the results presented here, CdO-ZnO nanocomposites may function as both a photocatalyst for the breakdown of organic pollutants as well as an effective luminous sensor for the detection of harmful analytes.