Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline
Emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceutical pollutants, pose significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable remediation strategies. In this study, mesoporous zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized via a green hydrothermal method using sweet cherry leaf extract...
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| Format: | Article |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Emerging Contaminants |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000034 |
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| author | Ramesh Vinayagam Syonaa Batra Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Louella Concepta Goveas Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ashton Menezes Raja Selvaraj |
| author_facet | Ramesh Vinayagam Syonaa Batra Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Louella Concepta Goveas Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ashton Menezes Raja Selvaraj |
| author_sort | Ramesh Vinayagam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceutical pollutants, pose significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable remediation strategies. In this study, mesoporous zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized via a green hydrothermal method using sweet cherry leaf extract for the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) under natural sunlight. XRD analysis confirmed a spinel cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 8.02 nm, while XPS revealed the elemental composition, including Zn (8.92 %), Fe (17.6 %), C (27.88 %), and O (45.6 %). The nanoparticles exhibited a band gap of 4.87 eV, broad UV–visible absorption, and a specific surface area of 77.99 m2/g with a mean pore size of 10.79 nm, all contributing to enhanced photocatalytic activity. VSM analysis demonstrated superparamagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 10.91 emu/g, which remained stable after photocatalysis (10.81 emu/g), indicating excellent structural stability and reusability. The degradation of TC followed a first-order kinetic model, achieving 94 % efficiency in the first cycle, with the rate constant decreasing from 0.0172 min⁻1 at 10 mg/L to 0.0043 min⁻1 at 50 mg/L. Even after five cycles, the material retained over 73 % degradation efficiency, showcasing its durability. This work highlights the potential of eco-friendly ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles as a sustainable and efficient solution for mitigating emerging contaminants in wastewater, contributing to environmental remediation efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5dac4aec24ff4646b6b9b8ddae010da1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-6650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Contaminants |
| spelling | doaj-art-5dac4aec24ff4646b6b9b8ddae010da12025-01-09T06:14:14ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Emerging Contaminants2405-66502025-06-01112100469Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracyclineRamesh Vinayagam0Syonaa Batra1Gokulakrishnan Murugesan2Louella Concepta Goveas3Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan4Ashton Menezes5Raja Selvaraj6Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, IndiaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology, M.S.Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, 560054, Karnataka, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology Engineering, Nitte (Deemed to Be University), NMAM Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India; Corresponding author.Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, IndiaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India; Corresponding author.Emerging contaminants, particularly pharmaceutical pollutants, pose significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable remediation strategies. In this study, mesoporous zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized via a green hydrothermal method using sweet cherry leaf extract for the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC) under natural sunlight. XRD analysis confirmed a spinel cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 8.02 nm, while XPS revealed the elemental composition, including Zn (8.92 %), Fe (17.6 %), C (27.88 %), and O (45.6 %). The nanoparticles exhibited a band gap of 4.87 eV, broad UV–visible absorption, and a specific surface area of 77.99 m2/g with a mean pore size of 10.79 nm, all contributing to enhanced photocatalytic activity. VSM analysis demonstrated superparamagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 10.91 emu/g, which remained stable after photocatalysis (10.81 emu/g), indicating excellent structural stability and reusability. The degradation of TC followed a first-order kinetic model, achieving 94 % efficiency in the first cycle, with the rate constant decreasing from 0.0172 min⁻1 at 10 mg/L to 0.0043 min⁻1 at 50 mg/L. Even after five cycles, the material retained over 73 % degradation efficiency, showcasing its durability. This work highlights the potential of eco-friendly ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles as a sustainable and efficient solution for mitigating emerging contaminants in wastewater, contributing to environmental remediation efforts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000034Zinc ferrite nanoparticlesGreen synthesisTetracyclineSunlight photodegradationPrunus aviumWastewater treatment |
| spellingShingle | Ramesh Vinayagam Syonaa Batra Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Louella Concepta Goveas Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ashton Menezes Raja Selvaraj Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline Emerging Contaminants Zinc ferrite nanoparticles Green synthesis Tetracycline Sunlight photodegradation Prunus avium Wastewater treatment |
| title | Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline |
| title_full | Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline |
| title_fullStr | Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline |
| title_short | Emerging contaminant removal using eco-friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles: Sunlight-driven degradation of tetracycline |
| title_sort | emerging contaminant removal using eco friendly zinc ferrite nanoparticles sunlight driven degradation of tetracycline |
| topic | Zinc ferrite nanoparticles Green synthesis Tetracycline Sunlight photodegradation Prunus avium Wastewater treatment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665025000034 |
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