Optical and dielectric properties of Polyaniline-ZnO nanoparticles for enhancing photodegradation of organic pollutants

Abstract Over the last decade, there is a growing interest in developing visible light active polymer conductors. Herein, the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of Pani-ZnO nanoparticles were fabricated by in situ polymerization. The adsorption and photo-electrochemical properties were evaluated for the photodegradation of two dyes namely Orange G (OG) and methyl Orange (MO) at different pHs. The synthetized polymers were characterized by scanning electron microcrospy (SEM) and diffuse reflectance. To provide further insights into the synergistic effect, the optical and dielectric constants allow to calculate the refractive index, optical conductivity, extinction coefficient (k), dissipation factor (tan δ) and relaxation time (τ). These properties were exploited to study the charge transfer and electronic properties of Pani-ZnO nanoparticles. The as-fabricated samples showed improved photoactivity compared to Pani alone. The optimal ZnONPs ratio (30 wt%. Pani-ZnO 30%) gives the higher degradation under sunlight, and the hetero-system exhibits high stability and recyclability for the dye oxidation. The current research offers a new understanding of designing high performance of Pani based photocatalysts for the water treatment.