In-situ synthesis of metal oxide and polymer decorated activated carbon-based photocatalyst for organic pollutants degradation

[Display omitted] •The photocatalytic activity of as prepared trinary-nanocomposite have been evaluated by the removal of methylene blue dye.•The prepared composite's photocatalytic activity was studied against a 50-ppm aqueous solution of methylene blue (MB) under visible light.•Compared to the control samples, ZCP has better dye degradation ability and a significant amount of efficiency even after 10 consecutive cycles.•The photocatalytic degradation of MB was also confirmed by chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis. The development of eco-friendly, outstanding, cost-effective, and efficient material for wastewater treatment remains a challenge towards the sustainable approach. Herein, we synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) and polypyrrole (PPy) fabricated activated carbon (AC) based trinary-nanocomposite (ZCP) for dye degradation application. The carbonization of biowaste and polymerization were achieved in acidic condition. The reaction mass pH was converted to a basic medium, as necessary for the in-situ formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles. This trinary-nanocomposite (ZCP) was used to degrade organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB). The influence of several factors such as pH, temperature study, electrolyte, photocatalyst dose, and contact duration on photodegradation were investigated. The ZCP composite was able to degrade 98.12% of MB dye solution within 20 min under visible light at room temperature. The degradation efficiency of ZCP was further increased (99.05%) at high temperatures. The above result indicates that the as-prepared ZCP nanocomposite is exhibiting excellent photocatalytic activity as compared to only low recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Compared to the control samples, ZCP has better dye degradation ability and a significant efficiency even after 10 consecutive cycles. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis confirmed the photocatalytic degradation of MB. This study mainly focused on the facile in-situ synthesis of ZCP nanocomposite for cost-effective mass production for various applications, including organic pollutants degradation.