Urea-Assisted Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO2 Photocatalysts for the Efficient Removal of Clofibric Acid from Water

Mesoporous TiO2 photocatalysts intended for the advanced removal of clofibric acid (CA) from water were synthesized by the sol-gel method in a medium containing cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) and urea, using either ethanol or isopropanol to dilute the TiO2 precursor. The activation of the samples was undertaken at 550, 650 and 750 °C. The XRD revealed that the nature of the solvent resulted in significant differences in the anatase-to-rutile ratios obtained at different temperatures. The specific surface area values were situated between 9 and 43 m2g−1 and the band gap values were similar for all the samples. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was examined for the degradation of CA, an emergent water contaminant. The photocatalytic tests performed under UV-A irradiation revealed that the photo-reactivity of these materials depends on the calcination temperature. The best results were obtained for the samples calcined at 750 °C, which showed high yields of CA elimination, as well as almost complete mineralization (over 95%) after 180 min of reaction. Good results in terms of catalyst reusability in the reaction were found for the catalyst showing the highest photo-reactivity. Therefore, the samples can be considered good candidates for future water remediation applications.

Effect of Salinity on UVA-Vis Light Driven Photo-Fenton Process at Acidic and Circumneutral pH

In the present work, the treatment of a mixture of six emerging pollutants (acetamiprid, acetaminophen, caffeine, amoxicillin, clofibric acid and carbamazepine) by means of photo-Fenton process has been studied, using simulated sunlight as an irradiation source. Removal of these pollutants has been investigated in three different aqueous matrices distinguished by the amount of chlorides (distilled water, 1 g L−1 of NaCl and 30 g L−1 of NaCl) at a pH of 2.8 and 5.0. Interestingly, the presence of 1 g L−1 was able to slightly accelerate the pollutants removal at pH = 5, although the reverse was true at pH = 2.8. This is attributed to the pH-dependent interference of chlorides on photo-Fenton process, that is more acute in an acidic medium. As a matter of fact, the fastest reaction was obtained at pH = 3.5, in agreement with literature results. Monitoring of hydrogen peroxide consumption and iron in solution indicates that interference with chlorides is due to changes in the interaction between iron and the peroxide, rather than a scavenging effect of chloride for hydroxyl radicals. Experiments were also carried out with real seawater and showed higher inhibition than in the NaCl experiments, probably due to the effect of different dissolved salts present in natural water.

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon developed from cotton cloth residue activated with phosphoric acid: adsorption of clofibric acid

Cotton cloth waste was used as a precursor to prepare activated carbon (ACCs) chemically activated with phosphoric acid. Adsorption behavior of prepared ACCs was correlated with physicochemical proprieties. The pore volume and BET surface of ACCs were determined by nitrogen adsorption isotherms and scanning electron microscopy was used to observe their surface morphologies. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis and pH point zero charge (pHPZC) were conducted to determine chemical properties. Under the optimal conditions: 50% impregnation ratio and thermal treatment under N2 flow at 600 °C during 60 min, the activated carbon prepared exhibits a high surface area 1,150 m2/g, 0.501 cm3/g micropore volume and an excellent adsorption performance. The adsorbed amount of clofibric acid is found to be 9.98 and 83 mg/g at, respectively, initial CA concentration of 10 and 100 mg/L at pH 3.0 and 20 °C. Diffusion and chemisorption are the steps controlling the adsorption of CA onto ACC 50% and the equilibrium data were well described by Freundlich isotherm.