An Innovative Ta3N5-TaON-PPY-CO-PEDOT Nanocomposite: Enhanced Electrocatalytic Sensing of Oxfendazole and Photocatalytic Dye Degradation of Malachite Green

Abstract

In this study, the enhanced catalytic activity of tantalum nitride-tantalum oxide nitride (Ta₃N₅-TaON) nanohybrids combined with organic polypyrrole-co-poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PPY-CO-PEDOT) was investigated, focusing on their electrochemical catalytic properties and dye degradation. Developing catalysts with high activity and understanding the definition of core nanostructures is critical and challenging because of their diminished electron transfer properties, particularly in the absence of polymer composite materials. In this study, we synthesized well-defined irregularly shaped zigzag rod core–shell nanoparticles using low temperatures with a uniform reduction process for chemical methods. We assessed their nanostructure by integrating the complete material redox properties and synergetic effect features using XRD, XPS, FESEM, HRTEM, and UV-Vis techniques. We optimized the catalytic performance of core–shell nanostructures by adjusting the pH and scan rate, which enhanced the oxidation of oxfendazole (OFZ). Optimizing the hydrophilic groups and metal interface can lead to improved conductivity of the composite material and lower detection limits for nanomolar target analytes at 3.7181 × 10⁻⁹ MµA⁻¹ by the DPV approach. In addition, the photodegradation of malachite green (MG) was achieved with a catalytic performance of 98.7 %, and implementing the catalytic mechanism showed the catalytic capabilities of the hexagonal core cell nanostructure and their potential applications in fuel cells, electricity storage batteries, and hydrogen production and storage.

Graphical Abstract