In this work, Er-doped BiVO₄/BiFeO₃ composites are prepared using the sonochemical process with a difference of rare earth loading compositions. The crystallinity and chemical and morphological structure of as-synthesized samples were investigated via X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, and electron microscopy, respectively. The diffuse reflectance technique was used to extract the optical property and calculate the optical band gap of the composite sample. The piezo-photocatalytic performance was evaluated according to the decomposition of a Rhodamine B organic compound. The decomposition of the organic compound was achieved under ultrasonic bath irradiation combined with light exposure. The Er-doped BiVO₄/BiFeO₃ composite heterojunction material exhibited significant enhancement of the piezo-photocatalytic activity under both ultrasonic and light irradiation due to the improvement in charge generation and separation. The result indicates that Er dopant strongly affects the phase transformation, change in morphology, and alternation in optical band gap of the BiVO₄ matrix. The incorporation of BiFeO₃ in the composite form with BiVO₄ doped with 1%Er can improve the photocatalytic performance of BiVO₄ via piezo-induced charge separation and charge recombination retardment.

In this study, we investigated the impact of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporation on the optical properties and oxygen detection performance of a titanium dioxide/methylene blue (TiO₂/MB) nanocomposite colorimetric indicator for packaging applications. The nanocomposite was synthesized via mechanical milling of TiO₂ nanoparticles with MB and citric acid. PVA, at varying concentrations (0, 3, 9, and 14 wt%), was introduced during the wet milling process to produce a homogeneous composite film. Spin coating was employed to fabricate TiO₂/MB nanocomposite films for oxygen detection evaluation. The influence of PVA loading on the films’ chemical functionalities and surface morphologies was assessed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The indicator’s activation process, involving a color change between bleached and colored states, and its recovery time were monitored via optical imaging and UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. The results revealed that a PVA content of 9 wt% yielded well-defined films with enhanced stability of the TiO₂/MB nanocomposite’s oxygen detection performance.

ZnO nanopowders were synthesized via a solvent-mediated green route using Mitragyna speciosa Korth. leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agents. Deionized water and methanol were employed to tailor the phytochemical composition of the extracts. The influence of extract concentration (5–20 mL) and solvent polarity on structural, morphological, and functional properties was systematically investigated. Structural analyses confirmed the formation of Zn-O bonds and a phase-pure hexagonal wurtzite ZnO without secondary phases. Surface morphology revealed solvent-dependent morphological evolution toward spherical shapes and reduced aggregation in the methanol-derived system. For antibacterial activity, green ZnO nanopowders demonstrated enhanced biocidal effects against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, comparable to that of commercial ZnO nanoparticles. Enhanced piezo-photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B was achieved under combined light and ultrasonic irradiation, with superior performance observed for methanol-derived ZnO. This enhancement is attributed to the synergistic interplay of solvent-induced defect states, reduced particle size, and piezoelectric field-driven charge separation. Scavenger analysis confirmed that superoxide radicals (${·\mathrm{O}}_2^{-}$) dominate the degradation pathway by green-synthesized ZnO nanopowders prepared from different solvent extracts. Thus, a correlation between solvent-mediated phytochemical environments and piezo-photocatalytic activity provides new insights for the design of sustainable, high-performance ZnO-based catalysts.

Wastewater contamination with synthetic organic dyes is a significant environmental challenge. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted considerable attention as a non-toxic, multifunctional material for electronics, optics, piezoelectric devices, and photocatalysis, where its performance is strongly governed by morphology. In this work, we investigate the effect of hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) on the formation and photocatalytic behavior of ZnO nanostructures synthesized from different zinc precursors, namely zinc acetate and zinc nitrate, via a one-step sol–gel process at low temperature without any post-treatment. All samples crystallize in the hexagonal wurtzite phase without detectable impurities, and the incorporation of HMTA leads to smaller, more uniform rod- and flake-like nanostructures. Although ZnO derived from zinc acetate without HMTA exhibits the highest specific surface area, ZnO synthesized in the presence of HMTA shows more favorable crystallinity, morphology, and pore connectivity, which together enhance charge separation and reactive oxygen species generation. As a result, ZnO samples synthesized with HMTA exhibit improved photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under UV irradiation.