Enhancing photocatalytic performance through surfactant-assisted electrochemical synthesis: Surface modification of hierarchical ZnO morphologies with Ag/ZnWO4 nanoparticles.

• Zn/Ag/ZnWO 4 is synthesized using an electrochemical approach assisted by CTAB. • Photocatalytic degradation of MG dye is assessed under visible-light conditions. • Zn/Ag/ZnWO 4 shows effective charge separation through a Z-scheme mechanism. • Zn/Ag/ZnWO 4 can act as a sustainable catalyst for wastewater purification. This study presents the synthesis of surface-decorated CTAB-capped ZnO nanoparticles doped with Ag/ZnWO 4 through a surfactant-assisted electrochemical synthesis approach. The development of surface-decorated composites is of considerable interest for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency. We report the synthesis of pristine, binary, and surface-decorated ZnO catalysts, specifically Zn, Zn/Ag, Zn/ZnWO 4 , and Zn/Ag/ZnWO 4. Various methods for physicochemical characterization have been utilized to verify the catalysts' structural, optical, and morphological properties. The results demonstrate the successful surfactant capping and metal doping. The synthesized nanoparticles have been tested for their photocatalytic performance against Malachite Green, an environmentally harmful organic dye, across various reaction conditions. Scavenger studies reveal that the photodegradation process is primarily driven by superoxide and hydroxyl radicals and, to a lesser extent, by photogenerated holes. The decrease in electron-hole pair recombination in the Zn/Ag/ZnWO 4 photocatalyst results in an enhanced degradation of Malachite Green when exposed to visible light. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]