Tuning the composition of new polyvinylidene difluoride/graphene/zinc ferrite films for amoxicillin removal from wastewater

This study investigated the use of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/graphene/zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanocomposite films for the photocatalytic removal of the antibiotic amoxicillin (AMX) from wastewater. Graphene has been synthesized via laser ablation method and zinc ferrite hydrothermal method. The nanocomposite films were synthesized via a traditional casting method and characterized using various techniques like XRD, HRTEM, FTIR, SEM, UV–Vis, and EDX. The PVDF/graphene/10 %ZnFe2O4 film exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, removing 94.8 % of 50 mg/L AMX within 75 min under visible light irradiation. This superior performance was attributed to its optimal band gap of 1.9 eV, high surface area, and efficient charge separation facilitated by the graphene and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Reactive species trapping experiments revealed hydroxyl radicals as the main oxidizing species driving the AMX degradation. The PVDF/graphene/10 % ZnFe2O4 film also showed good reusability, maintaining over 82 % AMX removal efficiency even after five consecutive cycles. So, the nanocomposite films demonstrated promising potential for antibiotic removal from wastewater via a photocatalysis mechanism under visible light irradiation. [Display omitted] •The film eliminating 94.8 % of 50 mg/L amoxicillin within 75 min•The film maintained good reusability and stability.•Improved photocatalytic efficiency for amoxicillin removal at catalyst dose 2 g/L•The film possesses a capability for eliminating pharmaceuticals from wastewater.