Facet oriented nanoparticles with enhanced advance oxidative process in degradation of organic pollutant in real water matrix

This study presents the fabrication of facet-oriented nanoparticles with enhanced sonophotocatalytic performance for organic pollutants degradation in wastewater treatment. For the first time by tailoring the crystal facets of nanoparticles, we achieved a significant improvement in catalytic activity under combined sono and photo conditions. The facet engineering approach optimized the surface reactivity, leading to superior degradation efficiency of organic pollutants. Characterization techniques, including XRD and TEM, confirmed the successful synthesis of facet-controlled structures. The synergistic effect of ultrasound and photocatalysis was demonstrated through kinetic studies, revealing enhanced reaction rates and degradation efficiency. The results indicated that the truncated-shaped nanoparticles exhibited the highest degradation rate, achieving a 92.85% degradation of malachite green, as organic pollutant. The research further assessed the catalytic activity of the selected catalyst under various experimental conditions, including surface adsorption and reusability. Notably, after three cycles of the sonophotocatalytic process, only a 4% decrease in catalytic activity was observed. Additionally, the phenazopyridine drug was effectively degraded in the optimal sonophotocatalytic system, achieving 82% degradation. Critically, to assess practical applicability, the catalyst was tested in a real water sample with high ionic strength. Despite challenging conditions, the facet-oriented TiO₂ achieved up to 76% removal of the target contaminant, demonstrating its strong potential for real-world environmental remediation. This work highlights the potential of facet-oriented nanoparticles as advanced materials for environmental remediation, offering a promising strategy for improving sonophotocatalytic processes in wastewater treatment and pollutant degradation.