Abstract
Photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic by utilizing inexhaustible solar energy represents an ideal solution for tackling global environment issues. The target generation of active oxidative species is highly desirable for the photocatalytic pollutants degradation. Herein, aiming at the molecular structure of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), we construct sunlight-activated high-efficient catalysts of TiO2-eggshell (TE). The composite ingeniously utilizes the photoactive function of TiO2 and the composition of eggshell, which can produce oxidative ·CO3− species that are especially active for the degradation of aromatic compounds containing phenol or aniline structures. Through the synergistic oxidation of the··CO3− with the traditional holes (h+), superoxide radicals (·O2−) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) involved in the photocatalytic process, the optimal TE photocatalyst degrades 92.0% TC in 30 min under solar light, which is higher than TiO2 and eggshell. The photocatalytic degradation pathway of TC over TE has been proposed. The response surface methodology is processed by varying four independent parameters (TC concentration, pH, catalyst dosage and reaction time) on a Box–Behnken design (BBD) to optimize the experimental conditions. It is anticipated that the present work can facilitate the development of novel photocatalysts for selective oxidation based on ·CO3−.
Highlights
IntroductionThe antibiotics residuals in the water environment increase gradually, which has become a serious problem for policy-makers, scientists and the public [1,2,3,4]
In recent years, the antibiotics residuals in the water environment increase gradually, which has become a serious problem for policy-makers, scientists and the public [1,2,3,4].Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is one of the ten antimicrobials licensed for the promotion of livestock growth, which is detected in significant amounts in potable, sewage water and sediment [5]
Photocatalysis is a promising strategy for environmental remediation, because it can utilize solar light directly, react at ambient temperature and has no secondary pollution [8]
Summary
The antibiotics residuals in the water environment increase gradually, which has become a serious problem for policy-makers, scientists and the public [1,2,3,4]. Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is one of the ten antimicrobials licensed for the promotion of livestock growth, which is detected in significant amounts in potable, sewage water and sediment [5]. Due to its biorefractory and stable nature, the increased presence of TC in aquatic environments has raised great concerns for both environment and human health [6,7]. Developing efficient technology to eliminate TC from an aqueous environment is urgently required. The application of photocatalysis technology in the degradation of TC has been carried out Photocatalysis is a promising strategy for environmental remediation, because it can utilize solar light directly, react at ambient temperature and has no secondary pollution [8].
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