Removal of antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water using rapid growing ZnO nanorod

Abstract

The primary objective of this research is to synthesize ZnO vertical nanorods on a conductive substrate through a novel approach. In this method, ZnO nanorods are grown on kanthal wires using the direct heating (DH) technique. The study investigated the application of ZnO nanorods in photodegradation , specifically in removing Sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Through comprehensive analysis techniques, including XRD , FESEM, and TEM , the successful growth of ZnO nanorods on kanthal wires is confirmed. Their photocatalytic activity in SMX degradation is evaluated at varying concentrations (3 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm) under UV light . Notably, the ZnO sample produced under 80 W power and 120 min emerges as the most promising, exhibiting a high surface area of 36 m 2 g-1, larger length of 755 nm, and lower diameter of 12 nm, as well as superior SMX photodegradation percentages of 87.64 % (3 ppm), 77.86 % (5 ppm), and 51.84 % (10 ppm) after 60 min. These findings highlight the potential of synthesizing ZnO nanorods via DH technique as an efficient and sustainable solution for removing pharmaceutical contamination in water sources.