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An insight into the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic rifampicin by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation

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Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic rifampicin (RIF) in aqueous solution, employing 100-nm sized anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) as a catalyst, under 365-nm light irradiation (0.28 mW cm‒2) was investigated. The direct photolysis and adsorptive removal of the ansamycin antibiotic were found to be negligibly inefficient. The experimental data suggest that photocatalysis efficiently degrades RIF, and the effect of irradiation time, catalyst dosage, pH of medium, and temperature was elucidated. The optimum photocatalytic degradation occurred in the colloidal mixture of 30.38 μM RIF solution and 10 mg TiO2 NPs at pH 5.63. The activation energy was estimated to be 1.585 ± 0.079 kJ mol‒1. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of the antibiotic followed the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model with the rate constant of 0.016 ± 0.002 min‒1, and the additional of a small amount of H2O2 accelerates the photocatalytic process. The degradation pathway was discussed based on vibrational spectroscopic data of RIF and its by-products. Overall, the findings in this study suggest that photocatalysis employing anatase TiO2 NPs under UV light irradiation is a promising approach for the degradation of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants.

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Acknowledgements

JH is grateful to MOST (Taiwan) for Grant No. 111-2222-E-006-007.

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The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam

    Nurul Amanina A. Suhaimi, Muhammad Khairul Harisin Umar, Harry Lik Hock Lau, Nur Nabaahah Roslan & Anwar Usman

  2. HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610, Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia

    Jun-Wei Lim

  3. Centre for Herbal Pharmacology and Environmental Sustainability, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India

    Jun-Wei Lim

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan City, 701, Taiwan

    Jonathan Hobley

  5. Center for Plasma Research, Integrated Laboratory, Universitas Diponegoro, Tembalang Campus, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia

    Muhammad Nur

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Suhaimi, N.A.A., Umar, M.K.H., Lau, H.L.H. et al. An insight into the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic rifampicin by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 137, 1105–1123 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-023-02564-z

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