Facile synthesis of Zn3(VO4)2/FeVO4 heterojunction and study on its photocatalytic and electrochemical properties

First time, a novel Zn-3(VO4)(2)/FeVO4 heterojunction nanophotocatalyst has been prepared using the slightly modified hydrothermal method by varying precursor ratios of iron and zinc salts. The physio-chemical characterizations of as-prepared nanocomposites were carried out by XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, BET, UV-Vis, PL, CV and EIS. Effect of molar ratio showed that Zn-3(VO4)(2)/FeVO4 nanocomposite with molar ratio 1:1 exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity than pure single Zn-3(VO4)(2) and FeVO4 photocatalysts by completely degrading the Rhodamine-B (Rh-B) dye solution at pH-3. The Zn-3(VO4)(2)/FeVO4 composite was also used for the electrochemical identification of ascorbic acid and glucose. This study provides first-hand information about the potential of vanadate-based nanocomposites for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and electrochemical sensing of various analytes.