Photodegradation of antibacterial cefotaxime using Mn doped ZnO nanosphere

Elimination of pharmaceutical waste is essential for aquatic system preservation. In this report, the ZnO and Mn-ZnO nanospheres (MZNs) were effectively synthesized via facile co-precipitation method with different Mn doping concentrations as catalyst for photodegradation of cefotaxime. The structure features of the synthesized MZNs were successfully investigated. The obtained data were confirmed the successful fabrication of nanosphere ZnO and MZNs. The designed MZNs with various Mn concentrations were utilized in photodegradation of cefotaxime under optimum conditions. The photodegradation parameters such as antibiotic initial concentrations, catalyst dosage, and medium pH were carried out under UV irradiation. The superior photocatalytic ac-tivity was revealed when the MZNs molar ratio is 0.75 mol.%. The results show that the degradation efficiency of cefotaxime was 99% within 2 h at operating condition (initial concentration 30 mg/L, catalyst amount 0.5 g/ L and pH 9). The photodegradation mechanism of antibacterial cefotaxime drug in water is based on superoxide radicals which are considered the main reactive species. The developed MZNs exhibit high stability for removal of cefotaxime that reached to 98% after four times recycling. The MZNs demonstrated a simple and effective model for photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical waste.

Automated summary

Elimination of pharmaceutical waste is crucial for the preservation of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, ZnO and Mn-ZnO nanospheres (MZNs) were synthesized and demonstrated to have high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of cefotaxime. The MZNs showed excellent stability and efficiency, indicating their potential application in the removal of pharmaceutical waste.