Photocatalytic performance with electrochemical effects for ZnO/Graphene Quantum Dots/CdSe nanocomposite toward ciprofloxacin antibiotics and paracetamol degradation under visible light

There has been significant interest in the advancement of photocatalytic materials that can respond to visible light, in order to fulfill the needs of conserving energy and reducing emissions. Photocatalysis is a method employed to eliminate organic contaminants from wastewater. This study examined the effectiveness of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), zinc oxide/graphene quantum dots (ZnO/GQDs), and zinc oxide/graphene quantum dots/cadmium selenide (ZnO/GQDs/CdSe) as catalyst powders in decomposing Paracetamol and Ciprofloxacin antibiotics when exposed to visible light. The ZnO/GQDs/CdSe composite was synthesized using calcination at a temperature of 400 °C for a duration of 2 h. The studies demonstrated that ZnO/GQDs/CdSe exhibited exceptional catalytic efficiency in the photodegradation of Paracetamol and Ciprofloxacin antibiotic, surpassing other catalysts with degradation rates of 99.2 % and 99.9 %, respectively. The ZnO/GQDs/CdSe composite can be recycled up to 5 times without experiencing any additional damage. Our findings indicate that the combination of GQDs, ZnO, and CdSe forms a photocatalytic system that follows the Z-scheme heterojunction model. This system demonstrates enhanced efficiency in transferring photogenerated electron-hole pairs and possesses a large redox capacity. These conclusions are supported by the results of radical trapping tests. [Display omitted] •Effective strategies to degrade to antibiotics with novel materials.•High photocatalytic effect of ZnO/GQDs/CdSe nanocomposite for the antibiotics.•High degradation percentages of 99.9 and 99.2 %.