Photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac in water using new composite ZnO-modified smectite/kaolinite clay

Pharmaceutical pollution in water poses a significant and escalating threat to both human health and the environment. In response to this challenge, a novel photocatalytic approach using zinc acetate nanoparticles (ZnO _A -NPs) and clay has been developed to effectively eliminate diclofenac (DCF), considered a common pharmaceutical pollutant.The photocatalyst was characterised using various techniques to ascertain its structural and textural properties. Subsequently, the DCF degradation was investigated under varying conditions, including contact time, initial pollutant concentration and ZnO _A /clay catalyst dosage.Remarkably, the results showed an impressive degradation of DCF of up to 94% after 90 min of treatment. The photocatalytic oxidation of DCF was fitted by the pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic model. Furthermore, the catalyst performs well for up to four cycles, highlighting its potential for sustainable and reusable applications.