Journal Article

A comparative study of ceramic nanoparticles synthesized for antibiotic removal: catalysis characterization and photocatalytic performance modeling

Assadi, Aymen Amin, Baaloudj, Oussama, Kebir, Mohammed, Amrane, Abdeltif, Nasrallah, Noureddine, Khezami, Lotfi

2021

Overview

The heterogeneous photocatalysis process has been known to provide significant levels of degradation and mineralization of emerging contaminants including antibiotics. For that, nanoparticle CuCr 2 O 4 (CCO) ceramics were successfully prepared via sol-gel (SG) and co-precipitation (CP) methods to obtain spinel with desired structural features and properties and also to improve the photocatalytic performances. The CCO crystallite phase was produced at 750 °C all ceramics, disregarding the synthesis route. CCO physical and chemical properties were checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld refinement, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and diffuse reflectance solid (DRS). The XRD patterns demonstrated that the synthesized catalysts displayed a small crystallite size between 17.45 and 26.24 nm for SG and 20.97 and 36.86 nm for the CCO CP samples. The observation by SEM and TEM of the nanopowders showed a typical morphology with comparable particle sizes for both synthesized routes (20–30 nm). SG agglomeration rates were higher, and particles stick together more efficiently considering the CP method, while the CCO CP method led to a more significant porosity. Their photocatalytic and adsorption performances were examined for cefaclor (CFC) removal chosen as a target pharmaceutical contaminant in water. The results obtained by the methods differed since nanoparticles prepared by SG led to high photocatalytic activity. In contrast, a high CFC adsorption was observed for those prepared via the CP method, and that agreed with the findings of the characterization analysis. The kinetics of the adsorption process was found to follow the pseudo-second-order rate law. In contrast, the data of the photodegradation process were further found to comply with the Lagergren kinetic law. Nevertheless, the global reaction rate is probably controlled by the intra-particular diffusion of CFC, regardless of the elimination process.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Verlag
• Subject: Adsorption / Anti-Bacterial Agents / Antibiotics / Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Catalysis / Catalysts / Catalytic activity / Cefaclor / Ceramics / Chemical properties / Chemical Sciences / Chemical synthesis / Comparative studies / comparative study / Contaminants / coprecipitation / Crystallites / Crystals / Diffusion rate / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecotoxicology / Electron microscopes / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Environmental science / Fourier analysis / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / Fourier transforms / Infrared spectroscopy / Material chemistry / Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Mineralization / Morphology / Nanoparticles / Pharmaceutical industry wastes / Photocatalysis / Photodegradation / photolysis / Porosity / reflectance / Research Article / Scanning electron microscopy / Sol-gel processes / Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / transmission electron microscopes / Transmission electron microscopy / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water pollution / Water Pollution Control / X-ray diffraction