Antibiotic drugs removal by visible light-driven photocatalysis using Pt/Ru nanoparticle-decorated hafnium oxide nanohybrids

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) nanohybrids with metal nanoparticle incorporation were fabricated to develop a prominent photocatalyst for environmental water treatment. The synthesis of ruthenium/platinum nanoparticles-incorporated HfO2 (Ru/HfO2 and Pt/HfO2) was done using a simple hydrothermal technique. The as-synthesized nanohybrids were well characterized; HfO2 had a Nanoleaf morphology, whereas Ru/HfO2 and Pt/HfO2 both had evenly attached Ru and Pt NPs on the surface of HfO2, respectively. These nanohybrids were utilized as a photocatalyst for the degradation of antibiotics nitrofurantoin (NFT) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in an aqueous solution by leveraging the inherent benefits of metal oxides and metal nanoparticles. Both nanohybrids displayed splendid photocatalytic activity, for instance, Ru/HfO2 exhibited ∼100% degradation of NFT and CIP in 15 and 25 min with rate constants of 0.3280 and 0.1919 min−1, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism was validated by using reactive species scavenging studies and mass spectrum analysis; the achieved degradation was predominantly governed by the hydroxyl radicals through an oxidation pathway. Moreover, metal nanoparticles play a vital role in trapping photo-excited electrons, which improves catalytic activity. The sustainable nature of nanohybrids was validated by investigating their reusability and practical applicability in real samples analysis. This HfO2-based nanohybrid is anticipated to generate a wide platform for developing imminent materials for use in a variety of environmental remediation applications.