Photocatalytic degradation of chloramphenicol in an aqueous suspension of silver-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

• Published in: Environmental technology 2013-05, Vol.34 (9), p.1161-1166
• Main Authors: Shokri, Mohammad, Jodat, Akbar, Modirshahla, Nasser, Behnajady, Mohammad A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anemia; Antibiotics; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Bone marrow; carbon; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemistry; chloramphenicol; Chloramphenicol - chemistry; Chloramphenicol - isolation & purification; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; environmental technology; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Gram-negative bacteria; Hot Temperature; humans; irradiation; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; mineralization; nanoparticles; nanosilver; Photocatalysis; photocatalysts; photocatalytic degradation; photodeposition; Photolysis; Pollution; scanning electron microscopy; Silver - chemistry; silver-doped TiO; Solar energy; temperature; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Titanium - chemistry; titanium dioxide; toxicity; transmission electron microscopy; ultraviolet radiation; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Purification; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1479-487X; 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2012.743589

In this work, silver-doped TiO₂ (Ag/TiO₂) nanoparticles were synthesized using a photodeposition technique. The prepared Ag/TiO₂ nanoparticles were characterized using TEM, SEM, XRD, and EDX techniques. The characterization of Ag/TiO₂ nanoparticles using SEM and EDX techniques revealed the dispersion of Ag metal on the surface of TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO₂ and bare TiO₂ in the presence of ultraviolet irradiation was investigated in the removal of chloramphenicol (CAP) as an antibiotic. CAP is a broad-spectrum antibiotic exhibiting activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as other groups of microorganisms. However, it is, in certain susceptible individuals, associated with serious toxic effects in humans including bone marrow depression, particularly severe in the form of fatal aplastic anaemia. The effects of the operational factors, such as doping content of Ag, photocatalyst dosage and calcination temperature were evaluated in the catalytic activity of Ag/TiO₂. The results showed that the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO₂ nanoparticles for the degradation of CAP, can be significantly improved by deposition an optimum amount of Ag nanoparticles (0.96 wt%) in the calcination temperature 300°C. It was found that 900 mg/L of Ag/TiO₂ is the optimum dosage in the removal of CAP with 20 mg/L initial concentration. The highest removal efficiency of CAP (∼100%) at the optimum conditions was observed in 20 min. A mineralization study under optimum conditions showed about 88% reduction in total organic carbon after 120 min of irradiation time.