Abstract:

A series of B-doped anatase TiO2 catalysts have been synthesized by solvothermal method and the photocatalytic activity toward a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) has been investigated. The results showed that the boron doping not only reduced the band gap energy, it also improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 towards the selected antibiotic under visible light irradiation. The effects of solution pH, catalyst dosage and the presence of process enhancer/inhibitors on the photoactivity were examined. Response surface methodology was successfully utilized to model and optimize the photocatalytic process with high correlation (R2 = 0.9960). The degrees of boron doping and visible light active mechanism have also been studied. Compared with raw TiO2 boron doped catalysts exhibit excellent photostability and photodegradation ability of ciprofloxacin under visible light irradiation.

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