Photocatalytic Removal of Metronidazole Antibiotics from Water Using Novel Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] Nanohybrid Material

In this study, we employed a straightforward synthetic approach using the sol-gel method to fabricate a novel photocatalyst, Ag and N co-doped SnO[sub.2] (Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] ). The synthesized photocatalysts underwent characterization through various techniques including XRD, FTIR, FESEM-EDS, TEM, UV-v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Toxics (Basel) 2024-01, Vol.12 (1)
Main Authors: Shuvo, Md. Shahriar Hossain, Putul, Rupna Akther, Hossain, Khandker Saadat, Masum, Shah Md, Molla, Md. Ashraful Islam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotic residues
Composition
Environmental aspects
Metronidazole
Photocatalysis
Purification
Sewage
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Summary:In this study, we employed a straightforward synthetic approach using the sol-gel method to fabricate a novel photocatalyst, Ag and N co-doped SnO[sub.2] (Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] ). The synthesized photocatalysts underwent characterization through various techniques including XRD, FTIR, FESEM-EDS, TEM, UV-vis DRS, BET, and XPS. The UV-vis DRS results confirmed a reduction in the bandgap energy of Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] , leading to enhanced absorption of visible light. Additionally, TEM data demonstrated a smaller particle size for Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] , and BET analysis revealed a significant increase in surface area compared to SnO[sub.2] .The efficiency of the Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] photocatalyst in degrading metronidazole (MNZ) under natural sunlight surpassed that of SnO[sub.2] . Under optimal conditions (Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] concentration of 0.4 g/L, MNZ concentration of 10 mg/L, pH 9, and 120 min of operation), the highest MNZ photocatalytic removal reached 97.03%. The reaction kinetics followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.026 min[sup.−1] . Investigation into the mineralization of MNZ indicated a substantial decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) values, reaching around 56% in 3 h of sunlight exposure. To elucidate the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of MNZ with Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] , a scavenger test was employed which revealed the dominant role of [sup.•] O[sub.2] [sup.–] . The results demonstrated the reusability of Ag-N-SnO[sub.2] for up to four cycles, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness as a photocatalyst.
ISSN:2305-6304
2305-6304
DOI:10.3390/toxics12010036