La₂CuO₄-decorated ZnO nanoparticles with improved photocatalytic activity for malachite green degradation

In this research, La₂CuO₄-decorated ZnO was designed by in situ nanoparticle fabrication using Strobilanthes crispus (B.) leaves extract (SLE) for the first time. To investigate the properties, La₂CuO₄-decorated ZnO were characterized by various characterization techniques. By a modification with La₂CuO₄, ZnO possesses the improved photocatalytic activity for malachite green degradation under visible-light illumination. ZnO-La₂CuO₄ nanocomposites exhibit high photocatalytic activity compared to ZnO and La₂CuO₄. The improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the effect of the decreased bandgap value of the nanocomposite structure due to the low recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Furthermore, ZnO-La₂CuO₄ shows good stability after three-run of photocatalysis experiment. The present research offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective method as an alternative for ZnO-La₂CuO₄ nanocomposites fabrication with excellent photodegradation performance.