Nanostructured ZIF-67/LaFeO 3 p-n Heterojunction Interface for Amplified Cefotaxime Sensing & Intensified Photo-Fenton Degradation

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges is effectively eliminating cefotaxime (CFX) while reducing the production of hazardous byproducts. A high surface area of ZIF-67 (1181.41m 2 /g) and its composite ZIF-67/LaFeO 3 (1082.94 m 2 /g) is engineered as a powerful multifunctional platform for environmental remediation. Leveraging a synergistic type-II p-n heterojunction, under visible light irradiation in the presence of H 2 O 2 , the composite demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic activity by producing rapid antibiotic degradation of up to 90.1% in 10 minutes.Beyond photocatalysis, it serves as an efficient electrochemical sensor using a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with ZIF-67/LaFeO 3 demonstrated high sensitivity, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.41 ppm and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 10.1 ppm, under optimal conditions at pH 6 and 40 ppm CFX concentration. According to our findings, the ZIF-67/LaFeO 3 nanocomposite performs better than both ZIF-67 and pure LaFeO 3 . Numerous characterizations have verified that the integration of LaFeO 3 has improved the charge 2 separation and increased the number of active sites of ZIF-67. Using electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectroscopy, the degradation intermediates and potential reactive degradation route of CFX were examined. The ZIF-67/LaFeO 3 proves effective for pharmaceutical detection and water purification.