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Abstract
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The ZnCrCe-mixed metal oxide catalyst (ZnCrCe-MMO) was synthesized through the thermal treatment of
ZnCrCe-Layered Double Hydroxides (ZnCrCe-LDHs) precursors. The LDH precursor underwent surface modifications
via two distinct methods: acid etching and alkali etching, followed by calcination, resulting in the formation
of ZnCrCe-MMO-A and ZnCrCe-MMO-B respectively. These modifications were evaluated for their impact
on the photodegradation efficiency of organic pollutants, specifically methylene blue dye (MB) and tetracycline
antibiotic (TC). The confirmation of synthesis of the catalysts, along with their physicochemical and electrochemical
properties, were thoroughly investigated using a variety of analytical techniques, including XRD, FT-IR,
FE-SEM, TGA, BET, HR-TEM, XPS, DRS, ICP, Raman analysis, EDS, and Mott-Schottky analysis. This study reports,
for the first time, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and tetracycline pollutants using the
ZnCrCe-MMO-A and ZnCrCe-MMO-B catalysts. Furthermore, the formation of intermediate oxidative species
(O2˙ ) during the photocatalytic reactions was identified using various quenchers, and a potential mechanism for
the process was proposed. The results indicate that the ZnCrCe-MMO-B catalyst demonstrates superior efficiency
in the photocatalytic removal of pollutants. This research elucidates the effects of metal vacancies on the photodegradation
process and offers a promising approach for achieving highly efficient photodegradation of
organic pollutants.
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