Research progress in photocatalytic activated persulfate degradation of antibiotics by bismuth-based photocatalysts

Abstract

Among the treatment strategies for degrading antibiotic organic wastewater, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) premised on persulfate activation have drawn extensive attention due to their high degradation capacity. Photocatalytic persulfate (PS) activation technologies are ideal and environmentally friendly. The coupling of photocatalysis and persulfate systems could indeed increase the efficiency of visible light utilization and generate more reactive oxygen radicals. As visible light responsive photocatalysts, bismuth-based photocatalysts have captivated significant interest due to the properties of low cost, non-toxicity, and excellent optical and chemical nature. At present, there are few reviews on bismuth-based photocatalytic activated persulfate. This article summarizes the research advances of the activated persulfate technique for treating antibiotic effluent with bismuth-based photocatalysts. Firstly, the mechanisms of photocatalysis and photocatalytic activation of persulfate are introduced and compared, as well as the advantages of the system and bismuth-based materials. Then, the catalytic performance and potential degradation efficiency of various bismuth-based photocatalysts are summarized and evaluated. Besides, strategies to improve the efficiency of photocatalytic activation of persulfate systems are discussed. After that, the directions that should be paid attention to or technologies explored in this kind of research are proposed. Finally, the challenges in the practical application of photocatalytic activation of persulfate are presented. The synthesis of efficient, safe, and economical bismuth-based photocatalysts and the improvement of the activated persulfate process will effectively expand its application prospects.