**3. Characterization details**

The photocatalytic activities mostly depend on the material nature, specific surface area, and light energy utilization ratio [35] etc., and for these reasons the crystallinity, functional group, surface area morphology and photophysical properties of the as-prepared samples were systematically investigated by various analytical techniques.


#### **3.1 Structural investigation**

The crystalline phases have a significant influence on the photocatalytic activities [36]. So the phase purity and crystallite size of the synthesized samples were evaluated by X-ray diffractometer using Riguku MiniFlux-II diffractometer using Cu Kα radiation (λ = 1.540 46 Å). The crystalline nature of the prepared samples were investigated through XRD analysis and **Figure 3** displays the XRD pattern of Mg-Al LDH, gC3N4, ZnO and g-C3N4\ZnO\Mg-Al LDH ternary nanocomposite.

The XRD pattern of the Mg-Al LDH and g-C3N4, sample is in good agreement with the JCPDS card no: 35-0965 [37] and 87-1526 [38], respectively. The diffraction peaks indexed to (003), (006), (012), (015), (018), and (110) are the plane reflections of a typical hydrotalcite-like phase screening, sharp and symmetric basal (00 l) reflection of LDH. The XRD pattern of ternary nanocomposite consists of g-C3N4, ZnO and Mg-Al LDH diffraction peaks indicate the formation of the composite.

*LDH Ternary Nanocomposites: g-C3N4 Intercalated ZnO\Mg-Al for Superior… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89325*

## **3.2 Morphological analysis**
