Green synthesis of Ag@CdO nanocomposite and their application towards brilliant green dye degradation from wastewater

Contamination of organic and inorganic compounds has become one of the increasing concerns due to their detrimental effects on the environment and human health. The presence of such organic and inorganic compounds in wastewater poses a challenge in water remediation. Herein, we report successful preparation of Ag@CdO nanocomposite via green methodology to remove Brilliant green from wastewater. The synthesized Ag@CdO nanocomposite was characterized using various analytical studies. SEM–EDS study of Ag@CdO nanocomposite showed an agglomerated spherical shape with signatures of Cd, Ag, and O, and XRD displays characteristic crystallinity. A Zeta potential value − 17.5 mV reveals excellent stability. TEM examination showed an average particle size of 7 nm and 50 nm for bare AgNPs and Ag@CdO nanocomposite, respectively. The maximum photodegradation was obtained in 90 min with Ag@CdO nanocomposite and AgNPs. The maximum degradation efficiency of AgNPs and Ag@CdO nanocomposite was found to be 90% and 96%, respectively, under optimum conditions of temperature; 55 °C and pH 6. In addition, Ag@CdO nanocomposite could be readily regenerated and reused at least 5 times without significant performance loss. Thus, the premeditated photocatalytic Ag@CdO nanocomposite-based platform can further be exploited for remediation of different organic effluents from industrial wastewaters. Furthermore, this work opens new avenues for the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency of many catalysts already under observation.