Novel CuO/Mn3O4/ZnO nanocomposite with superior photocatalytic activity for removal of Rabeprazole from water

In this work, a nanohybrid of CuO/Mn3O4/ZnO was generated through a simple hydrothermal based procedure. The CuO/Mn3O4/ZnO nanohybrid has been characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. UV-visible spectrophotometry and photoluminescence techniques allowed evaluation of optical properties that additionally suggested the prevalence of strong interfacial interaction between the three moieties of the nanohybrid and suppressed electron-hole recombination. The hybrid photocatalyst brought on similar to 97.02 +/- 1.15% disintegration of rabeprazole when illuminated with visible light. The progress of the photodegradation was in conformity with pseudo-first order kinetic model and had a velocity constant of 0.07773 min(-1). Additionally,similar to 84.45% of total organic carbon removal was achieved while chemical oxygen demand was reduced by similar to 73.01%. Using high resolution liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry technique, identification of the degraded products was made and accordingly the mechanistic route of the aforesaid degradation was proposed.

Automated summary

A nanohybrid of CuO/Mn3O4/ZnO was successfully synthesized through a simple hydrothermal based procedure and characterized using various techniques. Optical property evaluation indicated strong interfacial interaction in the nanohybrid, leading to suppressed electron-hole recombination. The hybrid photocatalyst exhibited efficient degradation of rabeprazole under visible light irradiation, with potential applications in environmental remediation.