MoS2@MIL-101(Fe) functionalized carboxylated loofah as a platform for the photodegradation of tetracycline and methylene blue from wastewater

The photocatalytic process is an energy-saving and high-efficiency wastewater treatment technology. In this work, a simple in-situ hydrothermal method was used to prepare a photocatalytic material based on waste loofah with high efficiency, reusability and excellent heterostructure to improve the photodegradation efficiency. The prepared MoS 2 @MIL-101(Fe)@Carboxylated loofah composite material was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transient photocurrent (TPC). The composite material demonstrated high adsorption capacity for hydrochloride (TC) and methylene blue (MB) and photocatalytic capacity under visible-light irradiation at room temperature which were attributed to the porous structure, strong visible-light absorption, and low recombination velocity of electron–hole pairs due to the heterojunctions. The loofah sponge used as a substrate can provide a means for powder catalyst recovery and waste cellulose recycling. Meanwhile, the photocatalyst proved excellent stability in the MB degradation experiment and could be reused for four cycles.