Non-Thermal Plasma Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Isoflurane over Visible Light Responsive Hierarchical HKUST-۱

Volatile halogenated anesthetic gases, such as Isoflurane, are considered persistent atmospheric pollutants with potential environmental impacts. In this study, a visible-light-responsive hierarchical photocatalyst composed of ZnO nanoparticles coupled with Cu-BTC metal organic framework and supported on perlite (P@ZnO/Cu-BTC) was synthesized via the solvothermal method and applied for isoflurane degradation. Characterization results revealed that coupling ZnO with Cu-BTC, followed by perlite modification, narrowed the band gap and improved charge separation efficiency. Band structure analysis further confirmed enhanced electron-hole dynamics and visible light absorption capability. The effects of operational variables, including air flow rate, relative humidity, and initial isoflurane concentration, were investigated and optimized using response surface methodology. P@ZnO/Cu-BTC achieved a maximum degradation efficiency of ۴۴.۶۷% under visible light alone, while the combined NTP/P@ZnO/Cu-BTC system reached ۹۱.۹۱% under optimum conditions (flow rate ۶۰ mL min-۱, relative humidity ۵۰%, initial concentration ۶۰ ppm, voltage ۱۵ kV). Integration with the non-thermal plasma system significantly enhanced mineralization to CO۲ while minimizing the formation of undesirable gaseous by-products. Gas-phase analysis also showed low levels of NOx and ozone generation. Overall, the results demonstrate that combining MOF-based heterojunction photocatalysts with non-thermal plasma technology provides an effective and environmentally friendly strategy for removing volatile halogenated pollutants from air streams.

کلیدواژه ها:

Anesthetic gas degradation ، Metal organic framework ، Advanced Oxidation Process ، Hierarchical structure ، Response Surface Methodology