Efficient clean-up of waters contaminated with diazinon pesticide using photo-decomposition of peroxymonosulfate by ZnO decorated on a magnetic core/shell structure.

In the present study, ZnO nanoparticles were anchored on a magnetic core/shell structure (SiO@FeO) to perpetrate ZnO@SiO@FeO and then coupled with UV light as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) into diazinon (DZ) degradation. Several techniques like XRD (X-ray diffraction), BET (Brunaeur, Emmett and Teller), TEM (Transmission electron microscope), FESEM (Field emission-scanning electron microscope) coupled with EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer), PL (photoluminescence), VSM (Vibrating Sample Magnetometer) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) were applied for identification of catalyst features. A possible mechanism for PMS activation and DZ degradation was proposed in details.