Visible-Light-Activated Degradation of the Antibiotic Tetracycline Using Cu(I)@g-C₃N₄ as an Efficient Photocatalyst

Water pollution by antibiotics has emerged as an urgent environmental and public health concern due to its role in fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria and disrupting ecological balance. Key contributors to this issue include pharmaceutical industries, healthcare facilities, agricultural practices, and wastewater treatment systems. Tetracycline, the second most widely used antibiotic globally, is frequently detected in wastewater due to its extensive application. However, its chemical stability, solubility, persistence, and activity at low concentrations in water pose significant challenges for its selective removal, necessitating the development of sensitive detection and separation methods. Conventional methods such as adsorption, coagulation, precipitation, ion exchange, biodegradation, and ozonation have been employed to remove pharmaceuticals from water. Nonetheless, these approaches are hindered by the generation of harmful byproducts, limited stability and biodegradability, and high operational and maintenance costs, restricting their industrial-scale implementation. Recent studies have identified graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and its nanocomposites as promising photocatalysts for environmental remediation, offering high potential for detecting and eliminating toxic pollutants in air and wastewater. Compared to metal-based semiconductors, g-C₃N₄'s unique physicochemical properties make it an attractive candidate for photocatalytic applications. In this study, we synthesized a visible-light-active photocatalyst comprising g-C₃N₄ modified with ([CH₃CN)₄Cu]PF₆), aimed at degrading the antibiotic tetracycline in aqueous media. Incorporating Cu(I) complex with g-C₃N₄ enhanced visible-light absorption and significantly boosted the photocatalytic activity due to the catalyst's high specific surface area. The experimental findings revealed that the optimal degradation of tetracycline (TC) occurred after ۹۰ minutes at an initial TC concentration of ۲۰ mg/L and a catalyst dosage of ۰.۰۸ g/L CuPF₆/g-C₃N₄ at pH ۹.

کلیدواژه ها:

Tetracycline ، Photocatalyst ، Cu(I)@g-C₃N₄ ، Visible-Light