Rapid Degradation of Organic Dyes via Ultrasound Triggered Piezo-Catalysis Using PVDF/ZnSnO3/MoS2 Nanocomposite

In this work, we report a facile fabrication of an interface-induced piezoelectric PVDF-ZnSnO3-MoS2 (PZM) device for the rapid degradation of organic dyes, namely, crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) in wastewater. The piezocatalyst composite mold is fabricated with PVDF as a binder matrix and ZnSnO3/MoS2 as piezoelectric cocatalysts to increase the selectivity and efficiency of the device. SEM micrographs display the formation of aggregated nanoparticle structures with a large number of active sites for superior catalytic activity. The structural studies reveal the increase in the β-phase of PVDF with the increased concentration of ZnSnO3 and MoS2 nanoparticles in the PZM mold. The optimized composite mold displays the superior performance of both CV and MB with 100% degradation in 14 and 6 min, respectively. Further, the superior performance of alkaline pH solution with an ultrasonic power of 50 W and a weight percentage of 20% was optimized to achieve maximum catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and stability to minimize the environmental impact. The fabricated piezocatalyst is found to be efficient and reusable after 7 degradation studies displaying high repeatability. The approach presented in this work can inspire a new strategy for designing efficient and scalable piezocatalytic materials for sustainable wastewater treatment.