Sign In

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

Presented here is a protocol to explore a universal set of experimental procedures for comprehensive laboratory evaluation of photocatalysts in the field of environmental purification, using the example of photocatalytic removal of antibiotic organic pollutant molecules from water by phthalocyanine sensitized silver phosphate composites.

Abstract

Various antibiotics such as tetracycline, aureomycin, amoxicillin, and levofloxacin are found in large quantities in groundwater and soil systems, potentially leading to the development of resistant and multi-drug resistant bacteria, posing a threat to humans, animals, and environmental systems. Photocatalytic technology has attracted keen interest due to its rapid and stable treatment and direct use of solar energy. However, most studies evaluating the performance of semiconductor catalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water are currently incomplete. In this paper, a complete experimental protocol is designed to comprehensively evaluate the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor catalysts. Herein, rhombic dodecahedral silver phosphate was prepared by a simple solvent phase synthesis method at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. BrSubphthalocyanine/Ag3PO4 heterojunction materials were prepared by the solvothermal method. The catalytic performance of as-prepared materials for the degradation of tetracycline was evaluated by studying different influencing factors such as catalyst dosage, temperature, pH, and anions at atmospheric pressure using a 300 W xenon lamp as a simulated solar light source and a light intensity of 350 mW/cm2. Compared with the first cycle, the constructed BrSubphthalocyanine/Ag3PO4 maintained 82.0% of the original photocatalytic activity after five photocatalytic cycles, while the pristine Ag3PO4 maintained only 28.6%. The stability of silver phosphate samples was further tested by a five-cycle experiment. This paper provides a complete process for evaluating the catalytic performance of semiconductor catalysts in the laboratory for the development of semiconductor catalysts with potential for practical applications.

Introduction

Tetracyclines (TCs) are common antibiotics that provide effective protection against bacterial infections and are widely used in animal husbandry, aquaculture, and disease prevention1,2. They are widely distributed in water due to their overuse and improper application in the past decades, as well as the discharge of industrial wastewater3. This has caused severe environmental pollution and serious risks to human health; for example, the excessive presence of TCs in the aqueous environment can negatively affect microbial community distribution and bacterial resistance, leading to ecolog....

Protocol

1. Preparation of the BrSubPc

NOTE: The BrSubPc sample was prepared according to a previously published work36. The reaction is carried out in a double-row tube vacuum line system, and the reaction process is strictly controlled under water-free and oxygen-free conditions.

  1. Pre-treatment of raw materials
    1. Weigh 2 g of o-dicyanobenzene, dry it in a vacuum oven for 24 h, take it out and then grind it carefully in an agate mortar.

Representative Results

The rhombic dodecahedron Ag3PO4 was successfully synthesized using this solvent phase synthesis method. This is confirmed by the SEM images shown in Figure 1A,B. According to the SEM analysis, the average diameter of the rhombic dodecahedral structure was found to be between 2-3 µm. The pristine BrSubPc microcrystals show a large irregular flake structure (Figure 1C). In the composite sample, the titanium dioxide still.......

Discussion

In this paper, we present a complete methodology for evaluating the catalytic performance of photocatalytic materials, including the preparation of catalysts, the investigation of factors affecting photocatalysis, and the performance of catalyst recycling. This evaluation method is universal and applicable to all photocatalytic material performance evaluations.

In terms of material preparation methods, many schemes have been reported for the preparation of rhombic dodecahedral Ag3PO.......

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21606180), and the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (Program No. 2019JM-589).

....

Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
300 W xenon lampCeauLightCEL-HXF300
AgNO3Aladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.7783-99-5
Air PumpSamson Group Co.ACO-001
BBr3Bailingwei Technology Co., Ltd.10294-33-4
Constant temperature circulating water bathBeijing Changliu Scientific Instruments Co.HX-105
DichloromethaneTianjin Kemiou Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.75-09-2
EthanolTianjin Fuyu Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.64-17-5
Fourier-transform infraredBrukerVector002
HexaneTianjin Kemiou Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.110-54-3
HNO3Aladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.7697-37-2
ICP-OESAglient5110
K2HPO4Aladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.16788-57-1
Magnesium SulfateTianjin Kemiou Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.10034-99-8
MethanolTianjin Kemiou Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.67-56-1
NaOHAladdin Reagent (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.1310-73-2
NH4NO3Sinopharm Group Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.6484-52-2
o-dichlorobenzeneTianjin Fuyu Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.95-50-1
o-dicyanobenzeneSinopharm Group Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.91-15-6
Scanning electron microscopyJEOLJSM-6390
TrichloromethaneTianjin Kemiou Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.67-66-3
Ultraviolet-visible SpectrophotometerShimadzuUV-3600
X-ray diffractometerRigakuD/max-IIIA

References

  1. Chen, Q. S., Zhou, H. Q., Wang, G. C., Bi, G. H., Dong, F. Activating earth-abundant insulator BaSO4 for visible-light induced degradation of tetracycline. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. 307, 121182 (2022).
  2. Liu, C. H., et al.

Explore More Articles

Photocatalyst Performance EvaluationSemiconductor CatalystsEnvironmental RemediationAmmonium NitrateSilver PhosphateBromine SubphthalocyanineCatalyst SynthesisCatalyst Characterization

This article has been published

Video Coming Soon

JoVE Logo

Privacy

Terms of Use

Policies

Research

Education

ABOUT JoVE

Copyright © 2024 MyJoVE Corporation. All rights reserved