Construction of MOF-based ZIF-8/g-C3N4 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of malathion in aqueous medium: Synthesis, characterization, optimization of operating parameters, and mechanism

To ease and eventually tackle the environmental issues posed by toxic organic compounds in water media, photocatalytic degradation-based processes offer promising solutions. In this regard, the MOF-based composites (g-C 3 N 4 /ZIF-8 (ZgCN)) in various combinations were initially prepared by a facile hydrothermal synthesis method and their photocatalytic activity with regard to the degradation of malathion (MTN) under visible light were fully investigated. The physiochemical properties of the optimized catalyst synthesized were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS). Having gone through a 90-min experiment, the results revealed that the degradation efficiency of ZgCN-70 (71.9 % ) composite were higher than gCN (13.8 % ) and ZIF-8 (21.1 % ). The radical scavenger experiments showed that h + and °O 2 − were the major reactive species controlling and dominating the photocatalytic degradation process. Finally, it was found out that under visible light the applied MOF-based catalyst (ZgCN) could be potentially utilized as an effective means in photocatalytic applications.