Effect of plasmonic metal (Cu, Ag, and Au) loading over the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of Mg-Al LDH towards degradation of tetracycline under LED light

[Display omitted] •Cu, Ag, and Au NPs were loaded onto Mg-Al LDH with varying sizes Au > Ag > Cu.•Influence of plasmonic metals over physicochemical properties was investigated.•Au loaded LDH composites exhibited the highest degradation of tetracycline.•Schottky junction and the SPR effect were responsible for improved photoactivity. This work focused on the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of solvothermal synthesized Mg0.667 Al0.333 (OH)2 (CO3)0.167 (H2O)0.5 layered double hydroxide (LDH) by plasmonic metal (Cu, Ag, and Au) photodeposition (1-3 wt%). HRTEM analysis confirmed the successful loading of plasmonic nanoparticles with varying sizes (Au (∼4–25 nm) > Ag (∼3–12 nm) > Cu (∼2–7 nm)) on the surface of LDH. The effect of different plasmonic metals and their size on the surface structural, optical, electrokinetic, and photocatalytic properties of LDH was investigated. The prepared catalysts were evaluated for the degradation of tetracycline under LED irradiation for 140 min and the photoactivity trend followed the order: pristine LDH