Synthesis of dual Z-scheme photocatalyst ZnFe2O4/PANI/Ag2CO3 with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity and degradation of pollutants

Abstract The ZnFe2O4/PANI/Ag2CO3 photocatalyst was synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The composition, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized photocatalyst were characterized. Compared with pure Ag2CO3, ZnFe2O4, PANI/Ag2CO3 and ZnFe2O4/Ag2CO3, ZnFe2O4/PANI/Ag2CO3 has the best photocatalytic ability of bisphenol A can reach 86.36% under 40 min of light, and it has a certain ability to be reused. At the same time, after 1 h of light, the degradation rate of Nitrobenzene can reach 90%. The reason for the increased catalytic ability of ZnFe2O4/PANI/Ag2CO3 can be attributed to the extended absorption capacity of the visible light region and the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs.