The effects of pH on reactive species formation in moxifloxacin photocatalytic degradation via BiPO4 prismatic

Abstract

BiPO4 with a prismatic morphology is successfully prepared using a hydrothermal method. The phase of the as-prepared BiPO4 is a monazite monoclinic phase. The pH of the zero point of charge is approximately 5 for the BiPO4. The effects of the catalyst dosage, initial concentration of moxifloxacin, and initial pH of the moxifloxacin solution on the photocatalytic degradation of moxifloxacin over the as-prepared BiPO4 are first studied. In addition, cations such as K+, Zn2+, and Al3+ and anions such as CO32−, HPO42−, SO42−, F−, and Cl− are introduced into the photocatalytic system to investigate their effects. Furthermore, through reactive species trapping, it is proven that ⋅O2− can be converted to ⋅OH and N2 can be reduced to NH3 in acidic solution. This work provides an essential study of BiPO4 for its application in photocatalytic fields.