Simultaneous Degradation of Antibiotics in Wastewater via Heterogeneous Photocatalysis Using ZnAlNiCe-Based Layered Double Hydroxide

• Grant number: 24/21925-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Rogéria Rocha Gonçalves
• Grantee: Maria Carolina Hebling Grili
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/08111-2 - Development of rare earth based light converters: luminescent markers, optical sensors, and amplifiers, AP.TEM

Abstract

In recent decades, pharmaceuticals have been recognized as a new class of environmental contaminants. The urgency in developing effective techniques for the removal of these residues is heightened by the ineffectiveness of conventional wastewater treatment plants and the lack of existing legislation. In this context, the application of heterogeneous photocatalysis using layered double hydroxides (LDHs) emerges as a promising solution for environmental remediation due to their notable characteristics, such as high surface area, ability to incorporate various cations with minimal leaching, chemical and thermal stability, low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, ease of laboratory-scale synthesis, and applicability in systems under neutral conditions. Enhancing these materials for solar photocatalytic applications is an interesting area of investigation, with potential for large-scale applications.Considering that, to date, no studies have been found investigating ZnNiAlCe-based LDHs for heterogeneous photocatalysis applications aimed at removing antibiotics from urban effluents. In this sense, recognizing the potential of ZnNiAlCe for environmental applications, it will be explored this specific LDH in this project for the simultaneous removal of three antibiotics frequently detected in urban wastewater: sulfamethoxazole (SMX), tetracycline hydrochloride (THC), and ciprofloxacin (CIP). To evaluate the effect of Ce in the material's structure, two LDHs will be synthesized, one with Ce and one without. Experiments will be conducted under low-energy UV radiation in the 350 nm range and under solar radiation in the heterogeneous photocatalysis process. The degradation of antibiotic concentrations will be monitored using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). To determine the optimal operating conditions, initial studies will be conducted in purified water, followed by tests in urban effluent sourced from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).