Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies

Construction of ZnWO4/NiCo2S4 heterojunction nanocomposite as a photocatalyst for destruction of organic contaminants from oil refinery wastewater

Document Type : Original Reaearch Article

Authors
Ghader Hosseinzadeh 1
Asma Parvini 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bonab, Bonab, Iran.
2 MSc Student, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bonab, Bonab, Iran.
10.30501/jamt.2026.584958.1366
Abstract
One of the main challenges faced by oil refinery industries is the presence of various organic compounds as environmental pollutants in their effluents. Among the most effective methods for treating this type of wastewater and degrading organic pollutants is photocatalysis. In this study, to improve the photocatalytic performance of the ZnWO₄ semiconductor under visible-light irradiation, a heterojunction composite of ZnWO₄ and NiCo₂S₄ was prepared. The heterojunction nanocomposites were synthesized using a hydrothermal method with ZnWO₄ nanorods and NiCo₂S₄ nanoparticles. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and photoluminescence (PL) analyses. The results showed that the ZnWO₄/NiCo₂S₄ heterojunction nanocomposite containing 20 wt% NiCo₂S₄ exhibited the best photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the enhanced photocatalytic performance resulted from a decrease in the band gap energy, increased visible-light absorption, and reduced electron–hole recombination, which promoted the more efficient generation of oxidizing radicals such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals.
Keywords
ZnWO4
NiCo2S4
Heterojunction
Photocatalyst
Subjects
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Journal of Advanced Materials and Technologies
Volume 15, Issue 2
Summer 2026
Pages 20-30

  • Receive Date 18 June 2026
  • Revise Date 04 July 2026
  • Accept Date 15 August 2026