Sustainable hydrogen production and antibiotic degradation using SeO ₂ /Se nanocomposite synthesized via co-precipitation

This study reports the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic performance of SeO2/Se nanocomposites (NC) for sustainable hydrogen production and antibiotic degradation. The nanocomposites were synthesized via a co-precipitation method, yielding stable structures with a bandgap energy of 2.34 eV and an absorption peak at 315 nm. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed a crystalline phase with an average crystallite size of 20.45 ± 1.23 nm and irregular particle morphology averaging 34 nm. Photocatalytic evaluation demonstrated a hydrogen production rate of 654 µmol/g under optimal conditions (50 mg catalyst, pH 10) under simulated sunlight. In parallel, the nanocomposites achieved 99.9% degradation of amoxicillin within 120 min, following pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.02249 min−1. Reactive oxygen species were identified as the primary drivers of the photocatalytic degradation process. These results highlight the dual functionality of SeO2/Se NC, offering a promising route for simultaneous clean energy production and environmental remediation. The findings contribute to the development of multifunctional photocatalytic materials for sustainable energy and water purification technologies.