High yield, low cost, environmentally friendly chemical bath synthesis process is used to produce submicron structures of ZnO and ZnO-carbon composites. Synthesis of ZnO rod structures (submicron sized) were confirmed using SEM images. To synthesis ZnO-carbon composites, well characterized carbon spheres produced using aerosol assisted CVD technique was used. Use of carbon spheres as a seed during synthesis of ZnO is observed to produce multipod structures of ZnO on to the surface of carbon spheres; the growth is explained by proposing suitable model. Room temperature photoluminescence spectra recorded for ZnO and ZnO-carbon composites synthesized show a systematic disappearance of a band-edge emission (sharp peak present at ∼380 nm observed for pure ZnO) with increased number of carbon spheres. Competent photo-catalytic activity of synthesized composite is confirmed by studying photo degradation investigation performed using a model dye molecule i.e. methyl orange. The work reveals possibility to use synthesized composites as a nontoxic and biocompatible catalyst for fragmentation of a methyl orange dye molecule. Photo-degradation mechanism of a methyl orange dye is proposed herewith considering the role of carbon spheres and ZnO in presence of UV photon.