Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Ability of (Vanadium Carbide/MWCNT(x)) Nanocomposites as Catalysts for Detection and Degradation of the Isoniazid (ISN) Antibiotic Drug

Abstract

The work reports on the degradation of isoniazid drug by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) with MWCNTs and V₂C (MXene) as the nanocomposite materials. Using different ratios of vanadium carbide, the nano composites (MWCNTs@V₂C) were created by sonication. 0.4 g of PEG and 1.6 g of PVA were sonicated in 20 mL of DMF together with 0.01 g of vanadium carbide or 0.5% of the total weight of the two polymers, PVA and PEG. The same weight % was used to prepare each of the four samples. When MWCNT was absent from the first sample, the weight percentage of MWCNT was altered by 0.1% of PVA/PEG/V₂C@MWCNT in the second sample (i.e., 0.0020 g), 0. 15% of PVA/PEG/V₂C@MWCNT in the third sample (i.e., 0.0030 g), and 0.20% of PVA/PEG/V₂C@MWCNT in the fourth sample (i.e., 0.0040 g), respectively. The use of pure polymers and the nanocomposite V₂C/MWCNT(x) (x = 2, 3, and 4 mg) as microwave-active catalysts promoted the breakdown of isoniazid drug. In comparison to the other three samples, the fourth sample at 150 mg showed the greatest degradation of 93%, concentration of (60 ppm) ISN. PVA/PEG/V₂C@MWCNT of 0.004 g showed maximum degradation of 93% when vanadium carbide and different MWCNT concentrations were used as catalyst.