Advancements in iron-based photocatalytic degradation for antibiotics and dyes

The accelerated growth of the economy and advancements in medical technology have led to the discharge of a diverse range of organic pollutants into water sources. Recent investigations into water treatment have demonstrated the potential for integrating photocatalysis with techniques such as photocatalytic persulfate activation and the Photo-Fenton process for more efficient wastewater management. Iron-based photocatalysts responsive to visible light offer several advantages, including non-toxicity, safety, affordability, and excellent chemical and optical properties. Currently, there is a notable increase in research activity focused on the iron-based photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics and dyes. Given their abundance, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness, iron-based photocatalysis shows considerable promise for various applications, including water treatment, air purification, and energy conversion. The use of iron-based photocatalysts has been demonstrated to facilitate the production of more reactive oxygen radicals, achievable through the Photo-Fenton process, direct photocatalysis, and the photocatalytic activation of persulfates. This approach has been demonstrated to enhance the degradation efficiency of antibiotics and dyes. Ongoing research encompasses the preparation and refinement of iron-based materials, exploration of photocatalytic mechanisms, and expansion of practical applications. Future directions include material innovation, elucidation of mechanisms, scaling up applications, and multifunctionalization, with the objective of enhancing photocatalytic efficiency, transitioning the technology from laboratory settings to practical scales, and providing effective solutions to environmental challenges and energy constraints.

Multiaperture g-C3N4@SiO2 to activate peroxydisulfate via visible light for efficient Rhodamine B removal

The sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation process (SR-AOPs) has been verified as a promising method to handle the persistent organic compounds in water using peroxydisulfate (PDS) as oxidant. A Fenton-like process was constructed and showed great potential to remove organic pollutants using visible-light-assisted PDS activation. The g-C₃N₄@SiO₂ was synthesized via thermo-polymerization, and characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N₂ adsorption-desorption, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method, photoluminescence (PL), transient photocurrent, and electrochemical impedance. Photocatalytic performance was demonstrated using the removal rate of Rhodamine B (RhB), and 96.08% RhB was removed from the solution within 50 min (10 mg/L in 200 mL, g-C₃N₄@SiO₂ = 0.25 g/L, pH = 6.3, PDS = 1 mmol/L). The free radical capture experiment proved that HO^•, h⁺, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were generated and removed RhB. The cyclic stability of g-C₃N₄@SiO₂ has also been studied, and the result shows no noticeable difference in the six cycles. The system of visible-light-assisted PDS activation might provide a novel strategy for wastewater treatment and must be an environment-friendly catalyst.