Simultaneous photodegradation of acetaminophen and caffeine using a ZnO/CeO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite

Semiconductor coupling delivers improved efficiency in photocatalytic water treatment. This study investigated the simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen and caffeine using a hydrothermally fabricated ZnO/CeO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. The nanocomposite physical-chemical properties were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence, UV-Vis spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption characterization techniques. A reduction in band gap from 3.10 eV to 2.65 eV and an increase in specific surface area from 10.039 m2/g and 34.364 m2/g for ZnO and ZnO/CeO2/g-C3N4 respectively was observed. The SEM and TEM studies demonstrated a good interaction between ZnO, CeO2 and g-C3N4, while photoluminescence confirmed enhanced charge transfer with the formation of the nanocomposite. The ternary nanocomposites exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiencies than pristine semiconductors, with 70% and 40% of 2 µg/mL acetaminophen and caffeine degraded, respectively, by 1.5 gL−1 of the ZnO/CeO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite under UV-A irradiation. The synergistic properties of the nanocomposite make it a promising material for further study and application in environmental remediation.