Heroldinho Arieveali, Nur Ahmad, Tarmizi Taher, Najma Annuria Fithri, Aldes Lesbani
Antibiotic residues such as norfloxacin (NOR) in aquatic environments pose a global concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. In this work, novel ZnAl/WO3 and ZnAl/SiO2 heterostructure photocatalysts were successfully synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated for efficient NOR photooxidation under UV irradiation. Structural and physicochemical characterizations confirmed the successful formation of well-integrated heterojunctions with enhanced surface area, reduced band gap energy, and improved charge transfer characteristics compared to pristine ZnAl LDH. The ZnAl/SiO2 composite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance, achieving up to 78.14% NOR degradation under optimized conditions, which was 1.68 times higher than that of bare ZnAl LDH. The synergistic role of H2O2 as an auxiliary oxidant significantly enhanced reactive oxygen species generation by suppressing electron–hole recombination and promoting hydroxyl radical formation. Radical scavenging experiments revealed that holes (h+) were the dominant reactive species in ZnAl/WO3 and ZnAl/SiO2 systems, whereas superoxide radicals played a major role in ZnAl LDH. Mott–Schottky analysis reveals favorable band alignment and strongly supports the formation of a direct Z-scheme heterojunction, which preserves the strong redox potentials of each semiconductor. Furthermore, the composites demonstrated good reusability, structural stability, and heterogeneity over multiple cycles, highlighting their potential for sustainable antibiotic removal in water treatment applications. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.
Master's Program of Materials Science, Graduate School, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, 30139, Indonesia; Research Center of Inorganic Materials and Coordination Complexes, Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang, 30139, Indonesia; Research Center for Catalysis, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Serpong, Tangerang Selatan, 15314, Indonesia; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Infrastructure and Regional Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Center for Green and Sustainable Materials, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sriwijaya, Ogan Ilir, 30862, Indonesia