In situ generation of hydroxyl radicals by B-doped TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen in wastewater

Abstract

Acetaminophen (AP) is a widely used antipyretic analgesic belonging to the class of PPCPs, which is di cult to be effectively degraded by traditional water treatment processes. However, photocatalytic technology may be an effective approach. Herein, B-doped TiO 2 photocatalytic materials were synthesized by sol-gel method, calcinated at 600℃ for 2 h, investigated by XRD, TEM, XPS and other characterization methods. The photocatalytic e ciency and factors affecting the photocatalytic activity were assessed by degradation of AP under 365 nm UV light. Compared with naked TiO 2 , 4%B-TiO 2 nanopowder had smaller grain size, higher porosity and lower bandgap energy of 3.11 eV. Scavenging experiments and ESR results showed that •OH was the principal active species. Hence, the degradation e ciency of AP was as high as 98.8% in 30 min when adopting 10 mg/L AP initial concentration and 1 g/L 4%B-TiO 2 loading, owing to e cient •OH generated by B-TiO 2 .

Photocatalytic Degradation of Acetaminophen in Aqueous Environments: A Mini Review

“…Under visible light irradiation, multiple ROS, including •O 2 − , 1 O 2 , and •OH, were generated and participated in the ACT degradation, significantly enhancing the degradation efficiency. B-doped TiO 2 (B-TiO 2 ) was successfully prepared with a small crystal size (25.62 nm) and a large specific surface area (17.23 m 2 /g) [ 100 ]. The results showed that the ACT (10 mg/L) removal efficiency could reach 98.8% by 4%B-TiO 2 photocatalyst (1 g/L) after 30 min of ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.…”

“…The photocatalyst nanocomposite can be lost gradually with the increased number of cycles. Therefore, the centrifugal recovery rate shows a downward trend [ 100 ]. In addition, centrifugal recovery has high technical demands, and the installation of large-scale centrifuges is needed in practical applications, which significantly adds to the economic costs [ 126 ].…”

Construction of MoS2/TiO2 Heterojunction for Excellent Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline

“…[14][15][16] The high electron-hole pairs recombination rate and large band gap (3.2 eV) are the main reasons for the poor photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 . [17,18] To improve the photocatalytic performance, TiO 2 has been investigated by various methods, including doping materials. [19][20][21][22] The combination of two different materials to construct a heterojunction system has attracted more and more attention because it can expand the solar energy efficiency of wide-bandgap materials.…”

“…However, TiO 2 can only be activated by ultraviolet light (UV) and has poor activity, which limits its further application [14–16] . The high electron‐hole pairs recombination rate and large band gap (3.2 eV) are the main reasons for the poor photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 [17,18] . To improve the photocatalytic performance, TiO 2 has been investigated by various methods, including doping materials [19–22] .…”