Microwave-assisted synthesis of nanosized Ce-ZnO anchored on porous Fe2O3: an efficient strategy for constructing well-interfaced heterostructures for levofloxacin degradation.

Integrating defect engineering with heterojunction construction is a pivotal approach to enhance semiconductor photocatalysis. Herein, an intimately contacted Ce-doped ZnO/Fe2O3 heterostructure was fabricated through a synergistic strategy combining polymer-gel combustion and microwave-assisted deposition. Comprehensive structural and spectroscopic characterizationconfirm the successful anchoring of nanosized Ce-ZnO onto a porous Fe2O3 framework. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) analyses reveal that the incorporation of Ce induces the coexistence of Ce4+/Ce3+ redox couples and oxygen vacancies, which collectively facilitate charge carrier separation and interfacial oxygen activation. The photocatalytic efficacy was significantly influenced by the Ce-ZnO/Fe2O3 mass ratio, with the optimized ZCF30 sample demonstrating the maximum activity, attaining 94.79% Lev elimination under visible-light irradiation in 150 minutes. Kinetic studies demonstrate that the reaction follows a pseudo-first-order model, significantly outperforming pristine components. Radical-scavenging assays identify ˙O2 - and h+ as the primary oxidative species, with auxiliary contributions from 1O2 and ˙OH. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic interplay between heterojunction-mediated charge transfer, Ce-induced defect chemistry, and efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. This work underscores the significance of defect-modulated interfaces in designing high-performance inorganic heterostructures for environmental remediation.