Fabrication of a graphene oxide/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (GO/ZIF-8) composite for enhanced adsorptive and piezo-assisted photocatalytic removal of organic dyes

Abstract

In this study, a novel porous zeolitic imidazolate framework decorated graphene oxide (GO/ZIF-8) composite was successfully synthesized for adsorptive and catalytic removal of organic dyes from wastewater. The structural and photo-electrochemical characteristics of the GO/ZIF-8 composite were investigated using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDS, BET, UV-Vis DRS, EIS, and PL spectroscopy techniques. The GO/ZIF-8 composite showed a mesoporous crystalline structure with tunable photoelectrochemical properties that had never been studied as an adsorbent and piezo-photocatalyst. It also exhibited a specific surface area and optical bandgap of 804 m2 g−1 and 3.60 eV, respectively, facilitating charge transfer and shortening the recombination rate of photo-generated electrons and holes. To study the feasibility of the GO/ZIF-8 composite for adsorption and piezo-assisted photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes, a series of dye removal experiments were carried out under different catalytic conditions. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm revealed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Freundlich isotherm model could better describe the adsorption of dye on the GO/ZIF-8 composite in both dark and light conditions. The catalytic dye degradation under UV and visible light irradiation and ultrasonic vibration also exhibited impressive synergistic piezo-photocatalytic activity of the developed GO/ZIF-8 composite. The piezocatalytic and photocatalytic dye degradation efficiencies using the GO/ZIF-8 composite were found to be 75.9% and 77.2%, respectively, within 90 min, while the piezo-photocatalytic degradation efficiency was observed to be 85.4% at that time. This study opens up a new and efficient strategy for designing and developing highly efficient piezo-photocatalysts with outstanding adsorption capacity for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of a graphene oxide/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (GO/ZIF-8) composite for enhanced adsorptive and piezo-assisted photocatalytic removal of organic dyes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Mar 2025
Accepted
21 May 2025
First published
22 May 2025

New J. Chem., 2025, Advance Article

Fabrication of a graphene oxide/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (GO/ZIF-8) composite for enhanced adsorptive and piezo-assisted photocatalytic removal of organic dyes

M. Atighi, G. Falahati, M. Hasanzadeh, N. Gholami, H. Ahmadi and M. Najafi, New J. Chem., 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5NJ01124H

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