Efficient degradation of pharmaceutical drugs using cerium-doped zinc oxide nanophotocatalysts synthesized via the sono-precipitation route

This study aims to synthesize cerium-doped zinc oxide nanophotocatalysts to degrade pharmaceutical contaminants. A combined precipitation–ultrasonication method was employed to synthesize the cerium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analyses confirmed the wurtzite structure formation of the zinc oxide with a crystallite size of approximately 20 nm. The UV–Vis optical spectroscopy measurement revealed cerium-doped zinc oxide’s high UV absorption capability. N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherm analysis indicated that the cerium-doped zinc oxide consisted of nanoporous spherical particles with a 43.35 m 2 /g specific surface area. Under UV light, the photocatalytic ability of cerium-doped zinc oxide was demonstrated by a 91% degradation of paracetamol with a 1.22 × 10 −2 min −1 reaction rate constant. These results highlight the advantageous use of the sono-precipitation method for producing efficient cerium-doped zinc oxide nanophotocatalysts for the wastewater treatment of pharmaceuticals.