Synthesis, Characterization and Optimization of Highly Selective Molecularly Imprinted Ni and F Co-Doped TiO2 Photocatalyst for Effective Removal and Photocatalytic Decomposition of Paracetamol

Employing the sol-gel method, a novel molecularly imprinted Ni and F co-doped TiO₂ photocatalyst has been synthesized, which is active in visible light. The synthesized photocatalyst has been subsequently characterized by XRD, N₂ adsorption/desorption analysis, EDS, FESEM, FTIR, and TEM analysis. Paracetamol has been decomposed during photodegradation. CCD under RSM has been used for the assessment of the effect of individual variables and also their possible interaction effects. Obtained optimum values for the maximum efficiency (83.6% by the desirability function value of 1.0) were at pH of 6.150, the photocatalyst mass of 87.0 mg, the paracetamol concentration of 0.01 mg/L, and the irradiation time of 224.2 min. Under optimum experimental conditions, this method exhibited linear range of 0.0050–0.0150 mg/L for paracetamol with the detection limit of 0.001 mg/L. Repeatability and the intermediate precision for paracetamol concentration have also been evaluated and the resultant RSDs were 2.07 and 2.11%, respectively. This method provides a good selectivity against phenol. The five-time regeneration and the recovery percentage of photocatalyst were evaluated that demonstrated bewildering results and confirmed its susceptibility. The photocatalyst, demonstrated the stunning efficiency degradation of paracetamol under the exposure to white LED as a visible light source. The surface and photocatalytic performance of synthesized photocatalyst have been upgraded as a result of doping with Ni and F elements.