Structural and optical disorder of ecofriendly NiO/ZnO hybrid materials using banana peel and their enhanced photodegradation of methylene blue under the illumination of natural sunlight

Nanostructured materials remain a formidable challenge in terms of their affordability, efficiency, and sustainability. Although there is still much to be done in terms of green methodologies, recent advances have indicated a promising direction. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a novel method for synthesizing zinc oxide (ZnO) and nickel oxide (NiO) hybrid nanostructures by using banana peel extract (BP). Plant phytochemicals extracted from banana peel extract appear as silent artisans, creating hybrid materials based on NiO/ZnO. A mesmerizing decrease in crystallite size, a captivating change in morphology, and an intriguing shift in the optical band gap are observed under the steady guidance of nature’s gift. The initial dye concentration, catalyst dosage, pH effect, recycling stability, and scavenger were examined as photocatalyst evaluation parameters. Under the nurturing light of natural sunlight, these NiO/ZnO nanostructures are capable of degrading methylene blue (MB). According to a pH study, over 97.5% of MB was degraded by a pH of 11 within 21 min and a low catalyst dose was utilized. Five tests were conducted to determine the stability of the recycled MB. The scavenger study indicated that reactive species such as holes (h⁺) were responsible for MB degradation. This study found that banana peel extract (BP) is an effective source of phytochemicals for improving the functional properties of NiO/ZnO nanostructures for photocatalysis.