LAUSR

Abstract Mixed metal oxide (MMO) is one of the most important photocatalyts intensively investigated for water remediation. In this study, ZnO/ZnAl 2 O 4 (ZnAl-MMO) nanocomposite was readily prepared via one-step calcination of ZnAl-layered double hydroxide (ZnAl-LDH) at 900 °C.·The obtained MMO composite was thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). ZnAl-MMO was composed of nano-scaled ZnO and ZnAl 2 O 4 crystal grains of high crystallinity and exhibited strong UV light adsorption with a well-developed interface between the two components of the composite. ZnAl-MMO showed high photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction activity under UV light irradiation and its rate constant was as high as 0.8134 h − 1 . The photoreduction activity of ZnAl-MMO photocatalyt was ascribed to the synergistic effect between two components of the nanocomposite.