Evaluation of AgBr/Ag3PO4/ZnO Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Degradation of Crystal Violet under Visible Radiation

The discharge of dye-containing wastewater poses a serious environmental challenge due to its toxicity, persistence, and resistance to conventional treatment methods. Photocatalysis has emerged as a sustainable and effective approach for the degradation of such organic pollutants, with ZnO- and Ag ₃ PO ₄ -based semiconductors widely studied for their favorable optical properties. However, their practical application is limited by poor visible-light utilization and rapid electron–hole recombination. In addition, while binary composites have been extensively investigated, ternary systems such as AgBr/Ag ₃ PO ₄ /ZnO and their synergistic effects remain insufficiently explored. Therefore, the objective this study or this study aims to develop efficient visiblelight-driven ZnO-based photocatalysts and to evaluate the influence of composite formation on their structural, optical, and photocatalytic performance such as in environmental remediation through dye purifications. ZnO and Ag ₃ PO ₄ nanoparticles, along with Ag ₃ PO ₄ /ZnO and AgBr/Ag ₃ PO ₄ /ZnO nanocomposites, were synthesized via a direct precipitation method and characterized using XRD, SEM, AAS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity was assessed through the degradation of crystal violet under visible-light irradiation. The AgBr/Ag???PO ₄ /ZnO nanocomposite exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency, attributed to reduced band gap energy and improved charge separation resulting from synergistic interactions. These findings highlight the potential of ternary composite design for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalysis in wastewater treatment applications.