Synthesis and photodegradation performance of a heterostructure ferromagnetic photocatalyst based on MWCNTs functionalized with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane and decorated with tungsten trioxide for metronidazole and acetaminophen degradation in aqueous environments.

The presence of metronidazole (MNZ) and acetaminophen (ACE) in aquatic environments has raised growing concerns regarding their potential impact on human health. Incorporating various patterns into a photocatalytic material is considered a critical approach to achieving enhanced photocatalytic efficiency in the photocatalysis process. In this study, WO ₃ nanoparticles, which were immobilized onto ferromagnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes that were functionalized using (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO ₃ ), exhibited remarkable efficiency in removing MNZ and ACE (93% and 97%) in only 15 min. In addition, the new visible-light FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO ₃ nanoparticles as a magnetically separable photocatalyst were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), EDS-mapping, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and total organic carbon (TOC) due to detailed studies (morphological, structural, magnetic and optical properties) of the photocatalyst. In-depth spectroscopic and microscopic characterization of the newly developed ferromagnetic FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO₃ (III) photocatalyst revealed a spherical morphology, with nanoparticle diameters averaging between 23 and 39 nm. Compared to conventional multiwall carbon nanotube and WO₃ photocatalysts, FMMWCNTs@GLYMO@WO₃ (III) demonstrated superior photocatalytic activity. Remarkably, it exhibited excellent reusability, maintaining its efficiency over a minimum of five cycles in the degradation of metronidazole (MNZ) and acetaminophen (ACE).
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)