Pharmaceuticals represent a group of micro‑pollutants that, due to their widespread use
and incomplete removal in conventional wastewater treatment plants, are increasingly
detected in aquatic environments. Because of their persistence and biological activity,
they can cause eco‑toxic effects even at low concentrations, making the development of
efficient degradation methods essential. Among advanced oxidation processes,
photocatalysis is one of the promising strategies for the degradation of organic pollutants.
In this thesis, I prepared thin films of TiO₂ using sol‑gel synthesis, surface‑modified them
with platinum, silver, and palladium, and evaluated their influence on the photocatalytic
degradation of selected pharmaceuticals. The polymorphic modification of the
synthesized TiO₂ was determined by X‑ray powder diffraction, and the morphology of
the films was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Photocatalytic activity was
determined by observing the degradation of a mixture of naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen,
phenytoin, and sulfamethoxazole under UV and visible light with HPLC. The results
showed that metal modification of TiO₂ thin films can selectively enhance the degradation
of certain pharmaceuticals, while slowing the degradation of others. Only the
modification with solar‑reduced silver proved unsuccessful, as it exhibited decreased
photocatalytic activity. The most effective improvements in pharmaceutical degradation
were achieved with the platinum and palladium modifications.
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