Constructing S-doped Ni–Co LDH intercalated with Fe3O4 heterostructure photocatalysts for enhanced pesticide degradation

Abstract

High pesticide concentrations enter water sources following agricultural uses, increasing concerns about environmental safety and human health. The application of photoactive nanostructures has demonstrated promise as systems for pollutant degradation and water treatment. This work studied the synthesis of S-doped Ni–Co layered double hydroxides (S-doped Ni–Co LDHs) decorated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The XRD, FESEM-EDX, and TEM techniques were applied for the characterization of the S-doped Ni–Co LDH/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared photocatalyst was investigated for the degradation of the chlorpyrifos pesticide from aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The effective parameters of photocatalytic degradation such as chlorpyrifos concentration, photocatalyst amount, and pH were investigated by the experimental design method. The synthesized photocatalyst revealed that the photocatalytic degradation performance of pesticides could reach 92.5% in 150 min under the optimum conditions. The high degradation efficiencies obtained demonstrated the effectiveness of this method and its potential for feasible application.