Synergetic effect of Fe2O3 and Na2WO4 piezo catalyst to remove pharmaceuticals waste in water

• Fe 2 O 3 and Na 2 WO 4 have synergic effect in degradation of AMX. • Fe 2 O 3 /Na 2 WO 4 degrades 88 % of AMX, while pure Fe 2 O 3 and Na 2 WO 4 degrade only 42 % and 20.6 %. • The degradation efficiency of Fe 2 O 3 was improved by 114 % when it was coupled with Na 2 WO 4 . • Fe 2 O 3 /Na 2 WO 4 piezo catalyst was successfully used in 8 cycles, while it keeps almost 85 % of its efficiency. • Kinetic study shows that AMX degradation follows a pseudo first-order reaction at 20 °C, while it follows a pseudo second-order reaction at 60 °C. • The degradation of AMX is mainly driven by superoxide free radicals. High efficiency and stability are two crucial factors in piezocatalysis reactions. In this research, the efficiency of Fe 2 O 3 piezo catalysts significantly increased by coupling it with Na 2 WO 4 . Results indicate that Fe 2 O 3 and Na 2 WO 4 have a synergetic effect on the degradation of Amoxicillin (AMX), with Fe 2 O 3 /Na 2 WO 4 degrading 88 % of AMX in the same conditions that pure Fe 2 O 3 and Na 2 WO 4 degrade only 42 % and 20.6 %, respectively. The degradation efficiency of Fe 2 O 3 was improved by 114 % when it was coupled with Na 2 WO 4 . Fe 2 O 3 /Na 2 WO 4 piezo catalyst was successfully used in 8 cycles while it keeps almost 85 % of its efficiency which indicates the stability of prepared piezo catalysts. Studying the mechanism of degradation by Fe 2 O 3 /Na 2 WO 4 revealed that superoxide free radicals have a critical function in the decomposition of AMX. The kinetic study also indicates that at lower temperatures, the reaction follows a first-order reaction.