Synthesis and characterization of Pd-doped carbon dots (CDP) for the photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid

An effective photo catalytic method utilizing fluorescent carbon dots (CDP) has been developed for the degradation of imidacloprid. The CDP were synthesized hydrothermally using fructose, palladium, and ethylene diamine and they were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), spectrofluorometer, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques. The key determinants were optimized and using the optimized conditions. 97 % photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid was achieved in 40 min at 365 nm using 5.0 mg L^–1 of imidacloprid at pH 10. The catalyst loading, and the response time were effectively correlated, emphasizing the critical role in improving the degrading efficiency. The pseudo- first order and second order kinetic models were applied to the data showing the best fitting with pseudo-first order kinetic model. The CDP can be used for repeated cycles maintaining its degradation efficiency within reasonable limits. The results highlighted the promising potential of using carbon dots as effective photocatalytic materials which are cost effective and environmentally safe for water remediation.