Synthesis and characterization of hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposite for photocatalytic application

We report a simple precipitation method for the synthesis of organic–inorganic hybrid composite Alq₃–WO₃ materials. The incorporation of WO₃ into Alq₃ samples was demonstrated using different techniques. The surface morphology signifies the aggregation in the particles. Conversely, the decrease in the photoluminescence, band gap, prolonged excited-state lifetimes, and the higher conductivity in the impedance measurements suggest a much lower recombination rate in the final composite. Overall, the present finding demonstrates an enhanced separation and transfer efficiency of the photo-generated charge carriers upon combing WO₃ semiconductor with Alq₃ organic complex. The photocatalytic degradation property of Alq₃–WO₃ composite has been studied using methylene blue (MB) as a model organic pollutant. The Alq₃–WO₃ composite analysis possesses good catalytic activities. From the photocatalytic degradation experiment, it is found that the data fit well with the pseudo-first-order equation for the whole range of irradiation time with a high correlation coefficient.