The Synthesis of carbon dots//zincoxide (CDs/ZnO-H400) by using hydrothermal methods for degradation of ofloxacin antibiotics and reactive red azo dye (RR141)

Abstract

Abstract The development of photocatalytic powders to remove contaminants from air solutions is an important field of research in the field of environmental conservation. CD/ZnO-H400, a heterogeneous photocatalytic production, is utilized to degrade the reactive red dye and the antibiotic ofloxacin found in wastewater. This study explains the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) derived from coconut air and zinc oxide (ZnO) using a hydrothermal method at a temperature of 180 °C with a duration of 4 h and subsequently calcinated at a 400 °C temperature for 4 h. This shows a significant improvement in photocatalytic performance due to improved delivery efficiency at the interface. The cost-efficient use of solar energy allows the comprehensive elimination of harmful pollutants through detoxification. The removal of the contaminant takes place through the first-order reaction, with RR141 showing the highest constant rate at 0.03 min−1, while ofloxacin has a constant speed at 0.01 min−1. The photocatalytic stability is measured after five cycles. The study also tested the impact of sunlight on degradation, showing a degrading rate of 98% for RR141 and 96% for ofloxacin. This study displays a new catalyst powder synthesized from carbon dots derived from the air, coconut and ZnO, showing remarkable photoactivity to completely remove harmful dyes and antibiotics from the surrounding environment.