This study focused on the photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid (IM) in water as the model pesticides. The effective division of photogenerated charge carriers is important in the photocatalytic reactions. So, a new PANI/WO 3-CdS photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple method. The prepared PANI/WO 3-CdS nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy compatible with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Degradation of IM pesticide under visible light irradiation was carried out to investigate the photocatalytic efficiency of the prepared nanocomposite. The effect of operational parameters on the degradation performance of pesticides was studied by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for photocatalytic degradation of IM (94.7%) were found to be 10 ppm of IM, 150 mg of PANI/WO 3-CdS, and pH = 3.0. The apparent rate constant of IM photodegradation over PANI/WO 3-CdS was 0.016 min −1. According to results, PANI/WO 3-CdS can serve as an efficient, and recyclable photocatalyst for imidacloprid degradation in an aqueous media.

In the present research, Fe3O4 and WS2 nanoparticles immobilized on or in KIT‐6 (KIT: Korea Institute of Science and Technology) pores (KIT‐6/WS2‐Fe3O4) were synthesized and studied as a photocatalyst for degradation of representative chlorpyrifos as an organophosphorus pesticide. In addition, the KIT‐6/WS2‐Fe3O4 photocatalyst was characterized by different methods such as TEM, FESEM‐EDS‐Mapping, XRD, and N2 adsorption/desorption surface area, in order to understand their morphology, structural, and physical properties. The photocatalytic performance of this photocatalyst was investigated for degradation of chlorpyrifos by visible light irritation. The effects of variables such as chlorpyrifos concentration, KIT‐6/WS2‐Fe3O4 nanocatalyst amount, pH, and irradiation time on chlorpyrifos degradation efficiency was studied by central composite design with response surface methodology. The optimum conditions for CP degradation were obtained by 50 mg KIT‐6/WS2‐Fe3O4 nanocatalyst, and 7.2 ppm chlorpyrifos solution with pH = 6, at 52 min. The pseudo‐first‐order model with rate constants equal to 0.069 min−1 as best choice efficiency described the chlorpyrifos degradation process according to Langmuir‐Hinshelwood kinetic.