Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A and energy storage capability of novel MoO3/ZnO/GO under visible light irradiation.

Abstract

Discharging endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC), namely, bisphenol A (BPA) into a water body does not only affect the public health but also gives adverse effects to the ecosystem. To encounter this issue, reliable treatment for BPA removal is highly required. Ternary combination of different metal oxides could be a novel energy storage photocatalyst toward efficient degradation of BPA under visible light radiation. The novel ternary photocatalyst of molybdenum trioxide with zinc oxide and graphene oxide (MoO3/ZnO/GO) was synthesized via hydrothermal and Hummer method at different hydrothermal times (6, 12, 18, and 24 h) and different GO compositions (0.5, 0.75, and 1.00 wt%) prior to the characterization for the morphological and physicochemical properties. ZnO has higher light absorption efficiency while MoO3 and GO were selected to be doped with ZnO owing to their good energy storage capability. MoO3 synthesized at 6 h of reaction time was chosen due to the uniform and abundant MoO3 production. The photocatalytic performance of MoO3/ZnO/GO with 0.5 wt% of GO reported 70% of 1-mg/L BPA degradation achieved after 180 min under visible light irradiation due to the reduced band gap at 2.38 eV. The energy storage capability of MoO3/ZnO/GO with 0.5 wt% of GO illuminated with 180-min visible light exhibit outstanding 100% of 1-mg/L BPA degradation after 30-min reaction in dark condition. A novel MoO3/ZnO/GO is significantly enhancing the photocatalytic degradation of BPA and acts as potential energy storage material for EDC removal in wastewater treatment. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].