Kinetic Modeling for Photo-Assisted Penicillin G Degradation of (Mn_0.5Zn_0.5)[Cd<i>_x</i>Fe_2-<i>x</i>]O₄ (x ≤ 0.05) Nanospinel Ferrites

• Published in: Nanomaterials
• Main Authors: Omar Alagha, Noureddine Ouerfelli, Hafedh Kochkar, Munirah A. Almessiere, Yassine Slimani, Ayyar Manikandan, Abdulhadi Baykal, Ahmed Mostafa, Mukarram Zubair, Mohammad H. Barghouthi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Subjects: nanoparticles; photodegradation; penicillin; kinetic modeling; mixed spinel ferrites; wastewater
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/4/970

Penicillin G is an old and widely used antibiotic. Its persistence in the environment started to appear in many environmental samples and food chains. The removal of these emerging pollutants has been a challenging task for scientists in the last decades. The photocatalytic properties of Cd²⁺ doped Manganese- Zinc NSFs with chemical formula (Mn_0.5Zn_0.5)[Cd<i>_x</i>Fe_2−<i>x</i>]O₄ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) NSFs are herein evaluated. The Manganese- Zinc N.S.F.s nanomaterials were deeply characterized, utilizing UV-Vis (reflectance) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption isotherm measurements, and S.E.M., SEM-EDX mapping, and T.E.M. The Kinetic model for the photodegradation of penicillin G (as a model molecule) is investigated using visible light as a source of energy. The kinetic study shows that our results fit well with the modified pseudo-first-order model. The Pen G degradation are 88.73%, 66.65%, 44.70%, 37.62% and 24.68% for x = 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1, respectively, against 14.68% for the free Cd spinel sample. The pseudo-rate constant is bandgap dependent. From the intra-diffusion rate constant (K_d), we developed an intra-diffusion time (τ) model, which decreases exponentially as a function of (x) and mainly shows the existence of three different domains versus cadmium coordination in spinel ferrite samples. Hence, Cadmium’s presence generates spontaneous polarization with a strong opportunity to monitor the charge separation and then open the route to a new generation of “assisted” photocatalysts under visible light.