Rianjanu, Aditya (57191992296); Nurfitria, Rima (60013193300); Nurfani, Eka (57190941043); Aflaha, Rizky (57224567463); Triyana, Kuwat (8597558700); Taher, Tarmizi (56104271500); Andreani, Agustina Sus (57195345189); Gultom, Noto Susanto (57193213215); Widakdo, Januar (57202287469); Hapidin, Dian Ahmad (57193339171); Peiner, Erwin (7003588121); Wasisto, Hutomo Suryo (36976258100)
The widespread presence of pharmaceutical residues and dye contaminants in wastewater necessitates the development of efficient, low-cost photocatalysts. Here, zinc oxide/cerium oxide (ZnO/CeO2) composite nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method, and their CeO2 content was optimized for the simultaneous degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP), tetracycline (TC), methylene blue (MB), and methyl orange (MO). X-ray diffraction shows that ZnO retains its hexagonal wurtzite structure, while secondary CeO2 reflections appear at ≥ 5 mol% CeO2, indicating a ZnO/CeO2 composite. The composites exhibit pronounced morphology changes relative to pristine ZnO and a moderate increase in specific surface area at optimal CeO2 loading. Optical analysis reveals only slight band gap variations (3.13–3.16 eV) with increasing CeO2 content, whereas photoluminescence increases progressively, with ZnO/CeO2-5 showing the lowest PL among Ce-containing samples, suggesting a favourable balance between charge separation and recombination. Consequently, the 5 mol% ZnO/CeO2 composite displays superior photocatalytic performance in single-pollutant tests, binary mixtures (CIP + TC, MB + MO), and a four-pollutant mixture, demonstrating efficient removal of complex antibiotic–dye systems. The enhanced activity is attributed to the combined effects of Ce3+/Ce4+ redox chemistry, oxygen-vacancy-related surface states, and intimate ZnO/CeO2 interfacial contact. © 2026 The Author(s). Advanced Materials Interfaces published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Infrastructure and Regional Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia; Research Center for Molecular Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia; Research Group of Physics and Technology of Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia; Institute of Semiconductor Technology (IHT) and Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology (LENA), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany; PT Biostark Analitika Inovasi, Bandung, Indonesia; PT Sciencemind Education Lab, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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