Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO2/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation

Iqbal, Anwar; Saidu, Usman; Adam, Farook; Sreekantan, Srimala; Yahaya, Noorfatimah; Ahmad, Mohammad Norazmi; Ramalingam, Rajabathar Jothi; Wilson, Lee D.

doi:10.3390/molecules26092509

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Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO₂/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation

^1,*

¹,

¹,

Mohammad Norazmi Ahmad

⁴,

Rajabathar Jothi Ramalingam

^5,*

and

Lee D. Wilson

^6,*

School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor, Penang 11800, Malaysia

School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Penang 14300, Malaysia

Integrative Medicine Cluster, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Kepala Batas, Penang 13200, Malaysia

⁴

Experimental and Theoretical Research Lab, Department of Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Science, Kuantan, Pahang 25200, Malaysia

⁵

Surfactant Research Chair, Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

⁶

Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Room 165 Thorvaldson Building, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editors: Wanhong Ma and Marcello Brigante

Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2509; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092509

Received: 15 March 2021 / Revised: 19 April 2021 / Accepted: 20 April 2021 / Published: 25 April 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Applications of Polymers)

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Abstract

In this work, mesoporous TiO₂-modified ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were immobilised on a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) polymer using a solution casting method for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) antibiotics under fluorescent light irradiation. Various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques were used to investigate the physicochemical properties of the floating hybrid polymer film catalyst (8%[email protected]). The highest removal (89.5%) of TC (40 mg/L) was achieved within 90 min at pH 9 due to enhanced water uptake by the LDDPE film and the surface roughness of the hybrid film. The formation of heterojunctions increased the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The QDs size-dependent quantum confinement effect leads to the displacement of the conduction band potential of ZnO QDs to more negative energy values than TiO₂. The displacement generates more reactive species with higher oxidation ability. The highly stable film photocatalyst can be separated easily and can be repeatedly used up to 8 cycles without significant loss in the photocatalytic ability. The scavenging test indicates that the main species responsible for the photodegradation was O₂^●⁻. The proposed photodegradation mechanism of TC was demonstrated in further detail based on the intermediates detected by LC-time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS). View Full-Text

Keywords: LLDPE; zinc oxide; titanium dioxide; quantum dots; tetracycline; photodegradation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Iqbal, A.; Saidu, U.; Adam, F.; Sreekantan, S.; Yahaya, N.; Ahmad, M.N.; Ramalingam, R.J.; Wilson, L.D. Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO₂/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation. Molecules 2021, 26, 2509. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092509

AMA Style

Iqbal A, Saidu U, Adam F, Sreekantan S, Yahaya N, Ahmad MN, Ramalingam RJ, Wilson LD. Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO₂/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation. Molecules. 2021; 26(9):2509. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092509

Chicago/Turabian Style

Iqbal, Anwar, Usman Saidu, Farook Adam, Srimala Sreekantan, Noorfatimah Yahaya, Mohammad N. Ahmad, Rajabathar J. Ramalingam, and Lee D. Wilson. 2021. "Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO₂/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation" Molecules 26, no. 9: 2509. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092509

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Floating ZnO QDs-Modified TiO₂/LLDPE Hybrid Polymer Film for the Effective Photodegradation of Tetracycline under Fluorescent Light Irradiation: Synthesis and Characterisation

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