Abstract
In this study, we report on the synthesis of ternary photocatalysts comprising TiO2/SnO2/g-C3N4 for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in water. SnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol–gel method, while g-C3N4 was obtained through melamine calcination. Commercial TiO2 and SnO2 nanopowders were also used. The heterojunctions were synthesized via the wet impregnation method. The photocatalysts were characterized via various techniques, including XRD, TEM, STEM, FTIR, N2 adsorption, UV–Vis DR, and hole tests. Photocatalytic degradation tests of CIP were carried out under UV, visible, and solar radiation. The P25/npA/g-C3N4 (90/10) material exhibited the best performance, achieving CIP degradation of over 97%. The synthesized materials demonstrated excellent initial adsorption of CIP, around 30%, which facilitated subsequent degradation. Notably, the CIP photocatalytic degradation tests performed under solar radiation showed a synergistic effect between the base materials and carbon nitride in highly energetic environments. These results highlight the effectiveness of ternary photocatalysts TiO2/SnO2/g-C3N4 for CIP degradation, particularly under solar radiation.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank J. Romero-Ibarra (IIM-UNAM) for the help in the TEM characterization and Jesús Eduardo Pacheco for the help in building the UV LED reactor.
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G. A. E. T. carried out most of the experimental work, sampling and collecting the data, and writing the manuscript. J. A. P. E. contributed to photodegradation result discussion, writing, review, and editing of the manuscript. P. B. C. contributed to experimental work. D. D. H. D. R. contributed to characterization result discussion, writing, review, and editing of the manuscript. D. G. A. contributed to the TEM, STEM result discussion, and review manuscript. C. J. C. M. contributed to the analysis and interpretation of photodegradation experimental data. H. I. M. contributed to the analysis of the kinetic models, review, and editing manuscript. L. M. G. R. supervised and administrated the project, writing, reviewing, and editing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Escareño-Torres, G.A., Pinedo-Escobar, J.A., De Haro-Del Río, D.A. et al. Enhanced degradation of ciprofloxacin in water using ternary photocatalysts TiO2/SnO2/g-C3N4 under UV, visible, and solar light. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29166-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29166-5