Construction of Novel Z-scheme Heterojunction in ZnFe2O4/P25 @ MOF-5 Nanocomposite from Plastic Waste for Efficient Photodegradation of Aqueous BTX Under Visible Light

An innovative strategy to reduce water pollution is adsorption-assisted photocatalysis. A novel mesoporous heterogeneous adsorbent MOF-5-based photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a green method from plastic waste through a one-step solvothermal process. Additionally, ZnFe2O4 nanocrystals were physically ground with commercial Degussa P25 at room temperature to prepare ZF/P nanocomposite catalysts. These catalysts demonstrated significant photocatalytic activity for the removal of BTX from wastewater. BTX was successfully degraded in an aqueous solution utilizing integrated adsorption and photocatalytic degradation using the newly developed ZF/P@MOF-5 samples with 0.01% of ZF/P. The in-depth characterization of the ZF/P@MOF-5 confirmed its positive physicochemical properties, such as porous nature, stability, high surface area, beneficial functional groups on its surface, and photocatalytic activity. PL spectroscopy also shows that the ZF/P-incorporated MOF-5 nanocomposite has a lower electron-hole recombination rate. The as-prepared ZF/P@MOF-5 mesoporous heterogeneous adsorbent-photocatalyst presented high adsorption and maximum degradation of BTX under visible radiations after 180 min. The reusability results demonstrated that 20 P/ZF @MOF-5 composite can be used effectively for up to four cycles, which makes the process more economical. This experimental study demonstrates that the novel ZF/P-incorporated MOF-5 is a potential route to producing photocatalysts for dissociating BTX wastewater that is highly effective, stable, economical, and sustainable.