Electron Interaction-Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline over Fe/UIO-66

Abstract

The excessive use of tetracycline (TC) poses a severe threat to the health of humans and ecosystems. Environmentally friendly photocatalytic technology can be effectively used to degrade TC. In this study, an Fe-modified UIO-66 (Fe/UIO-66) catalyst was prepared via a solvothermal method. The structural and optical properties were investigated to elucidate how the electronic interaction between Fe and UIO-66 influenced the light absorption capacity of Fe/UIO-66. A xenon lamp was used to simulate sunlight, and TC was taken as the target pollutant. The results of photocatalytic experiments showed that the degradation efficiency of Fe/UIO-66 for TC reached 80% within 120 min, superior to that of UIO-66. In addition, the experiment also investigated the influence of inorganic salt ions on the catalytic performance, proving that Fe/UIO-66 could be applied for the efficient removal of TC in complex water bodies.