Integrated Adsorptive and Photocatalytic Treatment of Levofloxacin and Cadmium from Wastewater using Biomass derived Carbon-ZnO Composite

Abstract

ZnO has been combined with several carbonaceous substrates, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, to enhance its photocatalytic performance of carbon-based ZnO photocatalysts. In the quest for sustainability biomass derived carbon supports low-cost alternatives to traditional synthetic routes. In this study, a biomass derived carbon made from apricot seeds was used to synthesize C-ZnO composite with a aim to address many intrinsic ZnO issues such as (charge recombination, wider band gap, and poor visible light absorption) in a photocatalytic process. In comparison to pure ZnO, the prepared composite had a lower band gap (2.93 eV) and extended visible light absorption regime. Subsequently it was employed to degrade Levofloxacin and reduce Cadmium. The material showed enhanced adsorptive-photocatalytic degradation efficiency attaining a 68% degradation for levofloxacin and 56% photoreduction for cadmium. The microstructural assessment of the material showed that carbon-ZnO composite is a stable, economical and sustainable option for the cleaning wastewater. Keywords: composite, low-cost, apricot, bandgap, cadmium, levofloxacin, adsorption, photocatalysis, wastewater.