Photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol by semiconductor oxides under UV and sunlight illumination

Authors: DERMAN AKŞİT, GÜLİN SELDA POZAN SOYLU

Abstract: In this study, photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol (acetaminophen), an analgesic and antipyretic drug, was investigated in using semiconductors under UV-B and sunlight irradiation. Semiconductor materials, Bi₂O₃, ZnO, TiO₂, and ZrO₂, were prepared using simple sol-gel, coprecipitation, and microwave synthesis methods. These photocatalyts were characterized by various spectroscopic and other techniques. As a result of the reactions, 25 ppm paracetamol with Bi₂O₃ and ZnO photocatalyst, total degradation was achieved with UV-B irradiation in 90 min. The results of photocatalytic activities showed that the highest degradation rate was obtained with the Bi₂O₃ photocatalyst. In the light of all findings, the nanorod-shaped Bi₂O₃ semiconductor which has a low band gap energy and high quantum efficiency exhibited significant effect on the activity despite of its low surface area.

Keywords: Photocatalytic degradation, paracetamol, semiconductor, UV-B and sunlight irradiation

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