Rapid Degradation of Organic Dyes via Ultrasound Triggered Piezo-Catalysis Using PVDF/ZnSnO₃/MoS₂ Nanocomposite

Abstract

In this work, we report a facile fabrication of an interface-induced piezoelectric PVDF-ZnSnO 3 -MoS 2 (PZM) device for the rapid degradation of organic dyes, namely, crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) in wastewater. The piezocatalyst composite mold is fabricated with PVDF as a binder matrix and ZnSnO 3 /MoS 2 as piezoelectric cocatalysts to increase the selectivity and efficiency of the device. SEM micrographs display the formation of aggregated nanoparticle structures with a large number of active sites for superior catalytic activity. The structural studies reveal the increase in the β-phase of PVDF with the increased concentration of ZnSnO 3 and MoS 2 nanoparticles in the PZM mold. The optimized composite mold displays the superior performance of both CV and MB with 100% degradation in 14 and 6 min, respectively. Further, the superior performance of alkaline pH solution with an ultrasonic power of 50 W and a weight percentage of 20% was optimized to achieve maximum catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability to minimize the environmental impact. The fabricated piezocatalyst is found to be efficient and reusable after 7 degradation studies displaying high repeatability. The approach presented in this work can inspire a new strategy for designing efficient and scalable piezocatalytic materials for sustainable wastewater treatment.

Combination NIPS/TIPS Synthesis of α-Fe2O3 and α/γ-Fe2O3 Doped PVDF Composite for Efficient Piezocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

“…obtained from the area shown in the SEM images in Figure 2, are presented in Figure S1 in the Supplementary File [20,23,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. It can be seen that the samples are chemically pure and free from impurities.…”

“…From the SEM images of cross-sectional cuts in the insets of Figure 2c,d, it is evident that the membrane thickness is approximately 100-120 µm, and the structure is symmetrical throughout the cross-section. The EDX spectra of the membranes, obtained from the area shown in the SEM images in Figure 2, are presented in Figure S1 in the Supplementary File [20,23,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. It can be seen that the samples are chemically pure and free from impurities.…”

“…Code 98-024-7036). Quantitative phase analysis using the Rietveld method showed that α-Fe 2 O 3 exists as the main phase (79.6%), while γ-Fe 2 O 3 is present in a quantity of 20.4% (see Figure S2 Supplementary File) [20,23,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. The average crystallite size of the α-phase was found to be 47.4 nm, while that of the γ-phase was 45.7 nm [29].…”

“…Therefore, a test on the cycling of the α-Fe 2 O 3 /PVDF membrane during piezocatalytic degradation of RB was conducted. The data are presented in the Supplementary File in Figure S3 [20,23,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. It can be seen that the membrane exhibits stable catalytic activity after three cycles at a level of 90%.…”

“…It can be seen that the membrane exhibits stable catalytic activity after three cycles at a level of 90%. SEM images of the membrane surface before and after three cycles of piezocatalysis are shown in Figure A comparative analysis with composite polymer piezocatalysts reported in the literature in recent years is presented in Table S1 in the Supplementary File [20,23,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. We attempted to provide detailed information on all important experimental parameters described in the articles.…”