Photocatalythic Activity of ZnO-WO3 for Methyl Orange Degradation

Irankhah, Reza; Balooch, Ali; Koohestani, Hassan

doi:10.30501/acp.2026.556425.1187

Photocatalythic Activity of ZnO-WO3 for Methyl Orange Degradation

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Reza Irankhah ¹

Ali Balooch ²

Hassan Koohestani ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Ceramic, Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.

² MS Student, Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.

10.30501/acp.2026.556425.1187

Abstract

The elimination of dyes via photocatalysis is a promising approach for achieving pollution-free environments. ZnO, WO3, and ZnO–WO3 (in a 1:1 weight percentage ratio) were synthesized through a green synthesis method. The resulting products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The XRD pattern indicates the formation of crystalline structures of ZnO, WO3, and ZnO–WO3. Optical studies revealed that the optical band gaps for pure ZnO, pure WO3, and the ZnO–WO3 photocatalysts were 4.20 eV, 3.03 eV, and 3.29 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized samples was evaluated through the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The obtained results demonstrated that the synergistic effect between WO3 and ZnO contributes to enhanced charge separation and a reduction in the recombination rates of charge carriers, thereby significantly improving photocatalytic performance. It was observed that 100% degradation of the MO dye can be achieved by the ZnO/WO3 composite after 15 minutes of visible light irradiation.

Keywords

ZnO

WO3

Photocatalysis

Green Synthesis

Methyl Orange

Subjects

ceramic

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