Preparation of Nickel-Based Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-C<sub>60</sub> Fullerene Nanowhisker Composite and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride under UV Light Irradiation

Nickel-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (Ni-ZIF) nanoparticles were prepared by dissolving nickel nitrate hexahydrate (Ni(NO3)2·6H2O) and 2-methylimidazole (C4H6N2) in methanol (CH3OH) and stirring the resulting solution for 6 h at 60°C. The resulting precipitate was collected by centrifugation and dried at 60°C for 24 h to afford solid-state Ni-ZIF nanoparticles. Next, a Ni-ZIF-C60 fullerene nanowhisker (FNW) composite was prepared by liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation using a solution of Ni-ZIF nanoparticles, C60-saturated toluene, and 2-propanol (C3H8O). In comparison to the Ni-ZIF nanoparticles, the hybrid Ni-ZIF-C60FNW composite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity in the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at 254 and 365 nm. The kinetics of the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride using both the Ni-ZIF nanoparticles and the Ni-ZIF-C60FNW composite under UV irradiation followed the pseudo-first-order reaction rate law.