Abstract

To meet the critical demand for effective pollutant degradation technologies, this study presents a novel approach to developing high-performance photocatalysts with enhanced active site accessibility. We combined microwave-assisted synthesis with ultrasonication to create coral-like NiCo2O4/WO3 (NCO/WO?) nanostructures. After synthesizing these structures, we performed a detailed analysis to understand their properties better. The primary objective was to significantly boost photocatalytic activity for organic pollutant degradation. Under simulated UV–visible irradiation, the NCO/WO3 heterostructure achieved an impressive 96.4 % degradation of organic pollutant within 160 min, surpassing the performance of individual WO3 and NCO. This enhanced efficiency is attributed to improved interfacial interactions that facilitated rapid dye adsorption and efficient charge carrier separation and transfer. Mechanistic studies identified hydroxyl radicals (·OH) as the key reactive species, with the degradation process following first-order kinetics. Furthermore, the NCO/WO3 composite exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, demonstrating its potential for environmental remediation and pharmaceutical applications. This study provides a scalable, cost-effective pathway for the design of advanced photocatalysts with broad application potential. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.