Journal
CATALYSTS
Volume 12, Issue 8, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/catal12080804
Keywords
water remediation; diclofenac; strontium titanate; solar photodegradation
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Funding
- Velux Stiftung Foundation [1381]
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This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac using nano- and micro-sized commercial STO powders. Both STOs exhibit remarkable photocatalytic efficiency and good stability during recycling tests.
Currently, photocatalytic reactions under solar illumination have attracted worldwide attention due to the tremendous set of associated environmental problems. Taking sunlight into account, it is indispensable to develop highly effective photocatalysts. Strontium titanate, SrTiO3 (STO), is a cubic perovskite-type semiconductor, an inexpensive material with high thermal stability and corrosion resistance that exhibits a similar energy bandgap to TiO2 and can represent an interesting alternative in photocatalytic applications. Particle size can significantly affect both photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical properties of a photocatalyst, thus altering the photooxidation of organic pollutants in air or water. In this context, this research aims at investigating the photocatalytic features of nano- and micro-sized commercial STO powders towards the photodegradation of diclofenac (DFC), a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, widely used as analgesic, antiarthritic, and antirheumatic. Both nano- and micro-STO photocatalysts exhibited remarkable photocatalytic efficiency towards DCF, reaching photodegradation efficiency higher than 90% within one hour. Results obtained in simulated drinking water were also compared to those obtained in ultrapure water. Both STOs showed good stability during recycling tests, maintaining high performances after three cycles. Eventually, active species were identified using various scavengers by trapping holes and radicals generated during the photocatalytic degradation process.
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