Titanium dioxide/cadmium sulfide photoanode applied to photoelectrodegradation of naproxen in wastewater

In this work TiO2 and CdS were synthesized, characterized, and applied on the fabrication of photoanodes for degradation of naproxen in aqueous matrices. The photoanodes were based on the deposition of the TiO2 film over fluorine-doped fin oxide glass plates followed by a CdS electrodeposition film. Characterizations of the photoanodes were performed by linear sweep voltammetry, transmission electronic microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The degradation process of naproxen was evaluated using UV-vis spectroscopy and total organic carbon. The CdS presented a low energy band gap, resulting in the increase of the photocurrent generated in the photoanode. The proposed photoanode showed efficiency for the photoelectrochemical degradation of naproxen with kinetic constant estimated at k = 1.1 x 10(-2) min(-1) and t(1/2) = 62.2 min(-1).

Automated summary

TiO2 and CdS were synthesized and characterized in this study, and used to fabricate photoanodes for the degradation of naproxen in aqueous matrices. CdS with a low energy band gap was found to increase the photocurrent generated in the photoanode. The proposed photoanode showed efficiency for the photoelectrochemical degradation of naproxen with a kinetic constant of k = 1.1 x 10(-2) min(-1) and half-life of t(1/2) = 62.2 min(-1).