Photocatalytic sol-gel/P25 TiO$_2$ coatings for water treatment : degradation of 7 selected pharmaceuticals

Matoh, Lev (author), Žener, Boštjan (author), Kovačić, Marin (author), Kušić, Hrvoje (author), Arčon, Iztok (author), Levstek, Marjetka (author), Lavrenčič Štangar, Urška (author)

The effect of different water matrices on the photocatalytic degradation of dissolved pharmaceuticals was explored. The focus was on the degradation efficiencies in wastewater effluent from a bioreactor and water effluent from a central wastewater treatment plant and comparing the results with degradation in deionized H$_2$O. The compounds tested included: oxytetracycline, marbofloxacin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, phenytoin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole. For the experiments performed in this study, a compact packed-bed photocatalytic reactor was used in which the hybrid TiO$_2$ photocatalyst (sol-gel/P25) was deposited on ∼3 mm glass beads. As expected, the reactions proceed more slowly in wastewater than in deionized water, yet it is shown that removal of the compounds from the water is still possible even when other organic molecules are present. Total organic carbon measurements have shown that complete mineralization takes place albeit at slower rates than the initial degradation of parent compounds. The results show that an acidic pH can increase the reaction rates and the adsorption on the photocatalyst surface. Analyses of the degradation intermediates were performed using tandem liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry system. Additionally, X-ray absorption spectroscopy was applied to get insight into the local structure of the photocatalyst before and after use. Understanding the effects that different wastewater compositions have on photocatalytic reactions will help to refine the potential applications of the technology.

• Language: English
• Keywords: titanium dioxide, sol–gel processes, functional applications, water treatment, TiO$_2$
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 24395–24406
• Numbering: Vol. 49, iss. 14, pt. B
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142792
• UDC: 546.82-31:544.526.5
• ISSN on article: 0272-8842
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.09.204
• COBISS.SI-ID: 122451459
• Publication date in RUL: 25.11.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ceramics international
• Shortened title: Ceram. int.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0272-8842
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5822215

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: titanov dioksid, sol-gel procesi, funkcionalna aplikacija, čiščenje vode