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Insighting role of activated carbon based nanostructures for complete photocatalytic degradation of hazardous pharmaceutical compound

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Abstract

The presence of pharmaceutical wastage and their metabolites in the wastewater, even in low absorption concentration has adverse effects on society and the environment. A recyclable and economical-friendly photocatalytic technique is applicable for decontamination and sanitization of the polluted water from the anti-parasitic drugs. Here, activated carbon was synthesized which has become more efficient and suitable for degradation purpose. Peanut shell-based activated carbon (PSAC) and sugarcane bagasse (SBAC) are used for this research. In this research study, results indicate that PSAC was more profitable and energetic as compared to SBAC. XRD demonstrates that PSAC has sharp peaks at 26.8° and 65.6° but SBAC has no specific sharp peaks. SEM analytic pictures visualized that PSAC has a granular nanoporous structure that is efficacious for the Iverzine degradation rather than nano and micro layers based on SBAC. EDX spectrums confessed that PSAC has a high peak of activated carbon and very small impurity peaks of sulphur and oxygen rather than SBAC. By the investigation of FTIR spectra, SBAC and PSAC both have almost the same absorbance bonds but have different percentage transmittance. An analytic study of degradation spectrum, it has been noticed that PSAC degraded 89% of Iverzine drug but SBAC has degraded just about 63%. All the results demonstrated that PSAC was more energetic for the absorption and degradation of pharmaceuticals from water.

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Acknowledgements

The author from King Khalid University likes to extend his appreciation to the Research Center for Advanced Material Science (RCAMS) at King Khalid University for funding the work through Research Project under Grant number RCAMS/KKU/014-20.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

    M. B. Tahir

  2. Department of Physics, University of Gujrat, HH Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan

    Maria Ashraf & Tahir Iqbal

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

    M. Sagir

  4. Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Khurram Shahzad

  5. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Arshid Mahmood Ali

  6. Research Center for Advanced Material Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Shabbir Muhammad

  7. Department of Physics, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Shabbir Muhammad

  8. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Hussein Alrobei

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  1. M. B. Tahir
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Tahir, M.B., Ashraf, M., Iqbal, T. et al. Insighting role of activated carbon based nanostructures for complete photocatalytic degradation of hazardous pharmaceutical compound. Appl Nanosci 11, 1117–1126 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-021-01752-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-021-01752-4

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