Creating a high-efficiency heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic properties is considered a promising approach to wastewater decontamination. Herein, using Sapindus mukorossi seed extract act as capping and reducing agent due to presence of saponins and polyphenols during synthesis of ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles. Sharp PXRD peaks ensured that the spherical nanocomposite had great crystallinity and purity. The CeO2@ZnO nanocomposite efficiently removes Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye (98%) and Endosulfan (ES) pesticide (96%). In addition to improved redox capacity, the heterojunction system exhibits quick transfer, long lifetime of photoinduced charge carriers, high-efficiency separation, and long-lived charge carriers. The band gap of ZnO observed was 3.1 eV and CeO2 2.8 eV which decreased after doping to 2.6 eV that showed the Z-scheme of CeO2@ZnO nanoparticle. The flow of electron and holes followed the unique Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism between hierarchical ZnO and CeO2 which produced active radical species. First-order kinetics followed by initial Langmuir adsorption constituted the degradation process. The presence of different radical quenchers (t-BuOH, p-BZQ, Na2EDTA) concluded that peroxide radical plays a significant role in the degradation of toxic EBT and ES. Green fabricated also showed excellent efficiency for the degradation of ES and EBT pollutants in actual wastewater samples. LC-MS analysis confirmed the formation of safer metabolites after the degradation of both pollutants. This study offers a fresh and green methodology for building Z-scheme heterojunctions of ZnO-modified in photocatalysis application.

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