Photocatalysis stands out as one of the most significant methods in sustainable chemistry, offering numerous potential applications, including wastewater purification. Due to the expanding pharmaceutical industry and other human impacts on the environment, concentrations of specific organic contaminants have been increasing over recent decades. The challenge lies in effectively degrading these organic substances using current methods in wastewater treatment plants. During my diploma work, I conducted an analysis of various photocatalysts for the research project Fabrication of Z-scheme hybrid composites with CNTs and the design of a photocatalytic reactor for industrial wastewater treatment (N2-0310). The photocatalysts tested included titanium dioxide, basic bismuth nitrates, titanate nanotubes, and iron titanates. To evaluate their effectiveness, I monitored the degradation of Plasmocorinth B organic dye and ibuprofen pharmaceutical under UV and visible light. The results highlighted the superior performance of the sample containing basic bismuth nitrate-decorated titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Its photocatalytic activity was comparable to the activity of commercially available titanium dioxide P25 and much higher in the degradation of ibuprofen under visible light conditions.
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