Enhanced rGO/ZnO/Chitosan Nanozyme Photocatalytic Technology for Efficient Degradation of Diazinon Pesticide Contaminated Water

Abstract The increasing presence of pesticide contaminants in water bodies poses significant environmental and health challenges. This study introduces a novel enzyme-based photocatalytic technology composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and chitosan (CS) designed to enhance the degradation efficiency of diazinon pesticides in polluted water. The nanozymes were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX, and FTIR to ensure homogeneous structure and distribution of the materials, and the adsorbed pesticide content was measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Adsorption studies showed that the diazinon removal efficiency increased with higher pH, longer contact time, and initial concentration, reaching maximum adsorption efficiency at neutral pH. Isotherm analysis showed that diazinon adsorption on rGO/ZnO/CS nanozymes followed the Freundlich model, exhibiting heterogeneous adsorption characteristics with moderate adsorption capacity. These findings highlight the potential of rGO/ZnO/CS nanozymes as effective adsorbents for removing diazinon pesticides from contaminated water, offering promising applications in environmental remediation.