Abstract
The efficient and safe degradation of drugs present in wastewater requires the design of a new material possessing high activity for that process. In addition to other methods, photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) merges the strengths of both photocatalytic and electrochemical methods, and the efficiency could be enhanced by the type of photoelectrode material. To address this challenge, three Ti/TiO2 nanotube-based photoelectrodes, differing in their tube morphology, were prepared by anodic oxidation and employed for the degradation of the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) drug by the PEC process. The highest efficiency for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) degradation by PEC was observed for the photoelectrode with a 1.7 μm length, 65 nm diameter and 8 nm wall thickness of TiO2 nanotubes, which were prepared by Ti foil anodization at 30 V. The effects of applied potential, irradiation intensity, initial pH and 5-FU concentration on PEC were investigated. Furthermore, our findings showed that the mechanism of photoelectrocatalysis in the presence of TiO2 nanotubes is based on ∙OH and h+ activity. To determine the 5-FU degradation pathway, the organic byproducts were identified by LC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the ecotoxicity evaluated during PEC dropped with decreasing 5-FU concentration.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
