Great improvement on tetracycline removal using ZnO rod-activated carbon fiber composite prepared with a facile microwave method.
New composite materials of activated carbon fiber (ACF) coated with zinc oxide (ZnO) were obtained by applying a green, cost-effective and rapid synthetic route using a commercial microwave oven. ZnO rods with a uniform and stable structure and an average diameter of 0.3-0.5μm and length of 1.0-1.5μm were achieved after only 3-min microwave treatment. The properties of ZnO were efficiently transferred to ACF, such that the resulting material, termed ZnO rod-ACF, demonstrated a promising potential as an efficient photocatalyst and simultaneously as an adsorbent. Pharmaceutical tetracycline at a concentration of 40mg/L was used to evaluate the organic pollutant removal capacity of the synthesized materials. At pH 8, ZnO rod-ACF exhibited excellent removal capacity (over 99%) and mineralization (90.7%) of tetracycline in aqueous solution within 1h under UV irradiation. The stability of ZnO rod-ACF was maintained and the mineralization of tetracycline was also maintained at 81.35% after multiple usage cycles. The photodegradation pathways of tetracycline were proposed based on the identified reaction intermediates.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Ulsan, Nam-gu, Daehak-ro 93, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea.
Viet Ha
VH
Tran Thi
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Ulsan, Nam-gu, Daehak-ro 93, Ulsan 680-749, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: bklee@ulsan.ac.kr.
Byeong-Kyu
BK
Lee
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002384:Catalysis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008872:Microwaves; D010782:Photolysis; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000077482:Carbon Fiber; D002244:Carbon; D013752:Tetracycline; D015034:Zinc Oxide
Activated carbon fiber; Adsorption; Photodegradation; Tetracycline; ZnO rods