Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots supported zinc oxide (ZnO/N-CQD) nanoflower photocatalyst for methylene blue photodegradation

This research highlights the three-step hydrothermal synthesis of N-CQD and its effect on the physical properties and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/N-CQD compared to ZnO commercial and the prepared ZnO nanoflower. The physical and optical properties of photocatalysts were conducted to investigate the correlation with photo degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) under visible light. During 30 min, MB concentration decreased to 80% by the prepared ZnO/N-CQD. This result showed superior activity compared to ZnO commercial and ZnO nano-flowers. Considering the high photocatalytic performance of ZnO/N-CQD, it can be further used as an efficient photocatalyst for organic pollutant removal from aqueous