<![CDATA[The growing energy crisis necessitates renewable and eco-friendly alternative such as green hydrogen. Herein, a Zn3(PO4)2-red dragon fruit peel extract (ZP-DF) nanocomposite was evaluated for green hydrogen production from coconut water waste via electro-photocatalysis. UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed good nanocomposite stability, with particle diameters of 18.79-75.14 nm and band gap energies of 2.52-2.94 eV. FTIR spectra confirmed antisymmetric PO43− stretching at 1018-1024 cm-1, distinct from the DF extract spectrum, alongside a characteristic band at 633-635 cm-1 attributed to Zn. XRD analysis identified the hopeite crystal phase of Zn3(PO4)2, with crystallite size of 41.28 - 95.13 nm while digital optical microscopy revealed a non-uniform grain morphology. Electrophotocatalysis using a ZP-DF10-coated electrode produced 36.7 ppm H2 from pure water waste (1.8 mL/min, 46.21% efficiency) and 30.4 ppm H2 from coconut water waste (0.6 mL/min, 31.03% efficiency). In contrast, conventional electrolysis without the photocatalyst yielded only 24.4 ppm (0.2 mL/min) and 23.2 ppm (0.3 mL/min) H2 from pure water and coconut water waste, respectively. These results demonstrate that ZP-DF nanocomposite significantly enhances green hydrogen production via electrophotocatalysis, offering a promising, sustainable route for waste-derived renewable energy generation.]]>
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