Hierarchical Fibrous HY Zeolite-Supported TiO2/CdS for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen (ACE)

The escalating pollution of aquatic ecosystems by pharmaceutical pollutants, notably acetaminophen (ACE), necessitates the advancement of sophisticated and effective remediation technologies. This study presents a direct Z-scheme TiO2/CdS photocatalyst supported on hierarchical fibrous HY zeolite (TiO2/CdS/FHY), synthesised via controlled electrolysis in a deep eutectic solvent followed by ultrasonic probe-assisted impregnation. The unique hierarchical fibrous HY-zeolite scaffold, characterized by an inherent meso–macroporous framework (81.5 m2/g) and demonstrated strong Ti–O–Si interfacial bonding, significantly enhanced nanostructure dispersion, facilitated charge separation, and suppressed electron-hole recombination, as evidenced by quenched photoluminescence. Optical characterization via UV–vis DRS revealed a red shift to 590 nm and a narrowed bandgap of 2.24 eV, enabling efficient visible-light harvesting. Under optimal conditions (10 wt% TiO2 loading, pH 5, 1.5 g/L catalyst dosage, 10 mg/L ACE concentration), TiO2/CdS/FHY achieved 86.4% ACE-degradation efficiency and retained > 79% activity over five cycles, with FTIR confirming structural stability. Quenching and band-edge analyses identified (e–/·O2–) and (·OH) radicals as the dominant oxidative species, corroborating a direct Z-scheme charge transfer pathway. This research highlights the significant potential of hierarchical fibrous HY zeolite supported TiO2/CdS nanostructures as an advanced support material for efficient photocatalytic degradation of emerging pharmaceutical contaminants.