Interfacial architecture on quantum dots modified metal-organic frameworks: Charge transfer mechanism, antibiotic associated pollutants photodegradation and eco-toxicity prediction

The light harvesting and interfacial morphology of metal-organic framework (MOFs) based photocatalyst poses great significance for antibiotic resistance inhibition. Herein, the hybrid interface of the Z-scheme ZIF-8@CuFeS₂ quantum dots (ZIF@CF QDs) was established, which exhibited superior photodegradation performance for antibiotic associated pollutants. Specifically, ZIF@CF QDs-Fe₃O₄ (ZIF@CF QDs-Fe) magnetic heterojunction achieved 90.27 % reduction of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) within 90 min (k=0.04496 min⁻¹), 5.99 lg inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and 4.57 lg of sul1 achieved within 6h. Notably, the built-in electric field of heterojunction was investigated via density functional theory (DFT) calculation, enhancing the charge migration during ZIF@CF QDs-Fe photoactivation. Furthermore, the radicals (·O₂⁻ and ·OH) photogeneration and redox cycles between metal ions (Zn²⁺, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺) were strengthened in electronic path of ZIF@CF QDs-Fe. Besides, the repeatability and eco-toxicity inhibition guaranteed stable application in ecological photo-remediation. Hence, this study proposed an opportunity for nano-photocatalytic development, synergistically promising the light-conversion and wastewater purification in practical treatment.