Rapid Degradation of Organic Dyes via Ultrasound Triggered Piezo-Catalysis Using PVDF/ZnSnO3/MoS2 Nanocomposite.

In this work, we report a facile fabrication of an interface-induced piezoelectric PVDF-ZnSnO₃-MoS₂ (PZM) device for the rapid degradation of organic dyes, namely, crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) in wastewater. The piezocatalyst composite mold is fabricated with PVDF as a binder matrix and ZnSnO₃/MoS₂ as piezoelectric cocatalysts to increase the selectivity and efficiency of the device. SEM micrographs display the formation of aggregated nanoparticle structures with a large number of active sites for superior catalytic activity. The structural studies reveal the increase in the β-phase of PVDF with the increased concentration of ZnSnO₃ and MoS₂ nanoparticles in the PZM mold. The optimized composite mold displays the superior performance of both CV and MB with 100% degradation in 14 and 6 min, respectively. Further, the superior performance of alkaline pH solution with an ultrasonic power of 50 W and a weight percentage of 20% was optimized to achieve maximum catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability to minimize the environmental impact. The fabricated piezocatalyst is found to be efficient and reusable after 7 degradation studies displaying high repeatability. The approach presented in this work can inspire a new strategy for designing efficient and scalable piezocatalytic materials for sustainable wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]