Three-dimensional graphene encapsulated Ag-ZnFe2O4 flower-like nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic degradation of enrofloxacin

Light-driven photocatalysis as an effective tool for degradation of antibiotics

Antibiotic contamination has become a severe issue and a dangerous concern to the environment because of large release of antibiotic effluent into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. To try and solve these issues, a plethora of research on antibiotic withdrawal has been carried out. Recently photocatalysis has received tremendous attention due to its ability to remove antibiotics from aqueous solutions in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner with few drawbacks compared to traditional photocatalysts. Considerable attention has been focused on developing advanced visible light-driven photocatalysts in order to address these problems. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the field of photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics, including the doping of metals and non-metals into ultraviolet light-driven photocatalysts, the formation of new semiconductor photocatalysts, the advancement of heterojunction photocatalysts, and the building of surface plasmon resonance-enhanced photocatalytic systems.

Antibacterial Z-scheme ZnIn2S4/Ag2MoO4 composite photocatalytic nanofibers with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light

Considering the biocompatibility of natural proteins and the strong photo-redox capability of Z-scheme heterojunctions, we fabricated Z-scheme ZnIn₂S₄/Ag₂MoO₄@Zein (Z ZA) photocatalytic membranes via electrospinning and in-situ precipitation for enrofloxacin (ENR) degradation. Z ZA exhibit a fiber structure wrapped with ZnIn₂S₄/Ag₂MoO₄ heterojunctions. Photocatalytic studies and various characterization results certified that the Z-scheme structure between ZnIn₂S₄ and Ag₂MoO₄ significantly increases the lifetime and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, which in turn enhances the photodegradation of ENR. The degradation rate of Z ZA-10 (ZnIn₂S₄/10 wt% Ag₂MoO₄@Zein) with the highest catalytic activity could reach 100% within 120 min compared with other samples. For ENR degradation, •O₂^- radicals were certified to be the primary active species by trapping experiments, and several possible conversion pathways of ENR in photocatalytic reactions were proposed. Furthermore, the antibacterial rates of Z ZA-20 (ZnIn₂S₄/20 wt% Ag₂MoO₄@Zein) against B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and E. coli could reach 90.09%, 89.78%, 84.34%, and 95.31%, respectively. Antibacterial evaluations and cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that Z ZA photocatalytic films had desirable antibacterial properties and low cytotoxicity, rendering them safe and effective for use in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater.