AbstractIn this study, pure ZnO, CeO₂ and ZnO/CeO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized using a thermal decomposition method and subsequently characterized using different standard techniques. High-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed the oxidation states and presence of Zn²⁺, Ce⁴⁺, Ce³⁺ and different bonded oxygen species in the nanocomposites. The prepared pure ZnO and CeO₂ as well as the ZnO/CeO₂ nanocomposites with various proportions of ZnO and CeO₂ were tested for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange, methylene blue and phenol under visible-light irradiation. The optimized and highly efficient ZnO/CeO₂ (90:10) nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance for the degradation of methyl orange, methylene blue and phenol as well as industrial textile effluent compared to ZnO, CeO₂ and the other investigated nanocomposites. Moreover, the recycling results demonstrate that the ZnO/CeO₂ (90:10) nanocomposite exhibited good stability and long-term durability. Furthermore, the prepared ZnO/CeO₂ nanocomposites were used for the electrochemical detection of uric acid and ascorbic acid. The ZnO/CeO₂ (90:10) nanocomposite also demonstrated the best detection, sensitivity and performance among the investigated materials in this application. These findings suggest that the synthesized ZnO/CeO₂ (90:10) nanocomposite could be effectively used in various applications.