{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T16:50:06Z","timestamp":1777654206721,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,29]],"date-time":"2021-12-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1640736000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In this investigation, a hybrid-biocomposite \u201cZnO-Bentonite\/Chitosan\u201d was synthesized using inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials (Bentonitechitosan) and (ZnO). It was used as a photocatalyst for water remediation. The structural, optical, thermal, and morphological properties of the synthesized hybrid-biocomposite were investigated using XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, TGA, XPS, and SEM-EDS. The thermal measurements showed that the decomposition of CS was postponed progressively by adding PB and ZnO, and the thermal stability of the synthesized hybrid-biocomposite was improved. The characterization results highlighted strong interactions between the C\u2013O, C=O, -NH2, and OH groups of chitosan and the alumina-silica sheets of bentonite on the one side, and between the functional groups of chitosan (-NH2, OH) and ZnO on the other side. The photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared hybrid-biocomposite was assessed in the presence of Methyl Orange (MO). The experiments carried out in the dark showed that the MO removal increased in the presence of Zn-PB\/CS hybrid-biocomposite (86.1%) by comparison with PB (75.8%) and CS (65.4%) materials. The photocatalytic experiments carried out under visible light showed that the MO removal increased 268 times in the presence of Zn-PB\/CS by comparison withZnO.The holes trapping experiments indicated that they are the main oxidative active species involved in the MO degradation under both UV-A and visible light irradiations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nano12010102","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,29]],"date-time":"2021-12-29T23:31:35Z","timestamp":1640820695000},"page":"102","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Physicochemical and Photocatalytic Properties under Visible Light of ZnO-Bentonite\/Chitosan Hybrid-Biocompositefor Water Remediation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Imane","family":"Aadnan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Team \u201cMaterials and Applied Catalysis: MCA\u201d, CBAE Laboratory, URL-CNRST N\u00b013, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, P.O. Box 11201 Zitoune, Mekn\u00e8s 50700, Morocco"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Zegaoui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Team \u201cMaterials and Applied Catalysis: MCA\u201d, CBAE Laboratory, URL-CNRST N\u00b013, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, P.O. Box 11201 Zitoune, Mekn\u00e8s 50700, Morocco"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8691-0691","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abderrahim","family":"El Mragui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Team \u201cMaterials and Applied Catalysis: MCA\u201d, CBAE Laboratory, URL-CNRST N\u00b013, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, P.O. Box 11201 Zitoune, Mekn\u00e8s 50700, Morocco"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8478-3441","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joaquim Carlos Gomes","family":"Esteves da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"(UP)\u2014Research Center in Chemistry, DGAOT, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s\/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molliq.2017.02.095","article-title":"Degradation of azo dyes under different wavelengths of UV light with chitosan-SnO2 nanocomposites","volume":"232","author":"Gupta","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Mol. 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