ZnO@PVDF-Nanopillar membrane for synergistic mechano-photocatalytic dye decomposition

The efficient degradation of organic pollutants remains a significant challenge in the field of catalysis, and the recycling of granular catalysts remains a persistent challenge during repeated usage. Herein, a ZnO@PVDF(Polyvinylidene Fluoride)-Nanopillar membrane has been prepared by combing the template and hydrothermal method and was applied in degrading methyl orange(MO) dye. The catalytic degradation rate attained 98.05 % at 360 min under the condition of ultrasonication and ultraviolet light being attributed to the composition and the bionic pine branch structure under a synergistic mechano(contactelectric & piezoelectric)-photocatalytic tri-catalysis. The PVDF-Nanopillar substrate as a dielectric material served as the reservoir of electron hole pair and prolonged their recombination by engineering a PVDF/ZnO nanorod heterojunction. Furthermore, the robust and reusability of this composite membrane were detected and the results indicated the membrane could also catalyze the degradation of dexamethasone, and its morphology and composition changed little comparing that in the recycling experiment after with before. Remarkably, the designed ZnO@PVDF-nanopillar membrane achieves ≈ 100 % organic pollutant degradation efficiency and enables facile catalyst recovery, offering a practical solution for sustainable water treatment applications, improving the catalytic convenience. This work provides new design principles for constructing organic-inorganic heterojunctions in environmental catalysis, offering fresh insights into hybrid material engineering.