Two in one is really better: NiAl-LDH/[CoNi(μ3-tp)2(μ2-py)2] nanocomposite for enhanced antibiotic norfloxacin degradation and H2 evolution reaction

As an astonishing way of dealing with both environmental pollution and the energy crisis, we report the synthesis of a remarkable nanocomposite comprising Co-Ni-based metal–organic framework [CoNi(μ3-tp)2(μ2-py)2 or CNTP-MOF] allied with Ni-Al-based layered double hydroxide (NiAl-LDH) via a facile thermal impregnation technique. It showed outstanding degradation of norfloxacin and renewable H2 evolution under simulated solar light irradiation. Notably, the photocatalytic performance of NiAl-LDH/CNTP-MOF nanocomposite was significantly improved compared to its two individual components, reaching a high norfloxacin degradation level of 96 % in 60 min and H2 evolution of around 1914 µmol g−1 within 5 h of irradiation time. In addition, four successive photocatalytic cycles using the NiAl-LDH/CNTP-MOF nanocomposite revealed that our synthesized material has extremely excellent stability without affecting the morphological structure. Potential reaction routes for norfloxacin degradation and H2 evolution over the most active NiAl-LDH/CNTP-MOF nanocomposite are also discussed in detail, wherein the heterojunction plays a key role in the enhancement of electron-hole pair separation, consequently substantial efficiency. Eventually, this work provides excellent insights for designing and constructing MOF-based nanocomposite with notable photocatalytic performance toward wide-ranging environmental remediation.