Abstract
Photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical residues through natural solar radiation represents a green and economical treatment process. In this work, ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of WO3-TiO2 nanocomposite was carried out at 140–150 °C for 5 h and calcinated at 600 °C. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized material were investigated using techniques like XRD, FESEM/EDX, HRTEM, BET surface area, UV-DRS optical analysis, and photocurrent response. The band gap of TiO2 was successfully reduced from 3.0 to 2.54 eV and thus making it effective under solar light. Complete degradation of paracetamol (50 ppm and natural pH of 6.5) was achieved in 3.5 h under natural sunlight at catalyst dose of 0.5 g/l. The extent of mineralization was evaluated by measuring the COD reduction. Based on the degradation products identified by GC–MS/LC-TOF–MS, the degradation process under natural solar-light could be interpreted to initiate through OH. radical species. The toxicity removal of the treated paracetamol solution under natural solar-light was evaluated by the seed germination test using Spinacia oleracea seeds and exhibited 66.70% seed germination, confirming the reduction in toxicity. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposite is attributed to the higher surface area, low rutile content, lower band gap, and incorporation of WO3, which led to an extended absorption range and a slower rate of electron–hole recombination. The technical insights presented in this research offer a feasible approach for utilizing natural solar light driven photocatalysis for wastewater treatment in an efficient and sustainable way. The proposed degradation pathway, and seed germination test (toxicity removal) of the treated paracetamol solution under natural sunlight, has not been previously evaluated.
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The experimentation, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing were performed by Aarif Hussain Shah under the supervision of Mushtaq Ahmad Rather.
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Highlights
• Nanocomposite synthesized by hydrothermal method using reaction parameters that yielded higher crystallinity and reduced reaction time by 80%.
• WO3 doping used to reduce band gap of TiO2 and shift its sensitivity to visible light.
• LC-TOF-MS/GC-MS analysis of the residual reaction mixture revealed the presence of aliphatic acids only.
• The mechanism of photocatalytic degradation under natural sunlight was initiated by OH attack onto the aromatic ring.
• Toxicity removal of the treated paracetamol solution was evaluated using Spinacia oleracea seeds.
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Shah, A.H., Rather, M.A. Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of tungsten(VI) oxide-TiO2 nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of non-narcotic drug paracetamol under natural solar light: insights into degradation pathway, mechanism, and toxicity assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 93916–93933 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28928-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28928-5