Photocatalytic degradation of gentamicin using TiO2 nanoparticle driven by UV light irradiation

Abstract

Antibiotics have contributed to enhance life expectancy in underdeveloped countries by reducing mortality rate, but the hazards connected with antibiotic pollution are largely harming people. The photocatalytic degradation of gentamicin utilizing Titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2nps) using visible and UV light has been studied. TiO2nps was synthesized using the co-precipitation method and calcined at 600 °C. XRD study confirmed the phase formation and Raman study confirmed the structure of TiO2nps. UV–Vis’s absorption study was performed in which a broad peak was obtained between 300 and 600 nm. The degradation percentage for the photocatalytic study was found to be 51 %, 84 %, and 95 % under dark, visible light, and UV light, respectively. The pseudo-first order reaction rate constant was calculated for the sample exposed to UV light, and was found to be 0.0158. In the cyclic study, high degradation percentage of more than 80 % was obtained even after four cycle of degradation.