Unveiling the Exceptional Performance of ZnO/Zn2TiO4 Nanocomposites

Abstract

In this study, we engineered a sub-70 nm nanocomposite of ZnO/Zn2TiO4 using a low-temperature solution-phase method with titanium isopropoxide and zinc acetate as precursors, and isopropyl alcohol and water as solvents. The investigation focused on nanocomposite growth by varying precursor and surfactant concentrations and their efficiency within different pH ranges. All three ZnO/Zn2TiO4 nanocomposites exhibited hexagonal wurtzite ZnO and Zn2TiO4 structures. The crystallite size in these nanocomposites ranged from 39.50 nm to 62.67 nm for ZnO and 21.24 nm to 26.15 nm for Zn2TiO4. Morphological observations using FESEM revealed the formation of dispersed cotton packet-like nanocomposites with sizes ranging from 18 to 350 nm. FTIR analysis showed peaks indicative of Ti–O and Zn–O bond formation, and EDX spectrum confirmed the presence of Ti, O, and Zn. UV spectrums and photocatalytic investigations confirmed the successful formation of ZnO/Zn2TiO4 nanocomposites with notable photocatalytic degradation efficiency for methylene blue dye under various conditions. These findings suggest the potential applicability of the synthesized nanocomposites for environmental pollutant degradation.