Photocatalytic Removal of Antibiotics from Wastewater Using the CeO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO Heterojunction

CeO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO-based photocatalytic materials were synthesized by the sol-gel method in order to establish heterojunctions that increase the degradation efficiency of some types of antibiotics by preventing the recombination of electron–hole pairs. The synthesized materials were ana...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nicolae Apostolescu, Ramona Elena Tataru Farmus, Maria Harja, Mihaela Aurelia Vizitiu, Corina Cernatescu, Claudia Cobzaru, Gabriela Antoaneta Apostolescu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/850
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Summary:CeO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO-based photocatalytic materials were synthesized by the sol-gel method in order to establish heterojunctions that increase the degradation efficiency of some types of antibiotics by preventing the recombination of electron–hole pairs. The synthesized materials were analysed by XRD, SEM, EDAX, FTIR, and UV-Vis. After several tests, the optimal concentration of the catalyst was determined to be 0.05 g‧L<sup>−1</sup> and 0.025 g‧L<sup>−1</sup> for chlortetracycline and 0.05 g‧L<sup>−1</sup> for ceftriaxone. CeO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO assemblies showed much better degradation efficiency compared to ZnO or CeO<sub>2</sub> tested individually. Sample S3 shows good photocatalytic properties for the elimination of ceftriaxone and tetracycline both from single solutions and from the binary solution. This work provides a different perspective to identify other powerful and inexpensive photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.
ISSN:1996-1944