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Electrochemical Characterisation of TiO2/SnS2 Photoelectrode in the Presence of Pharmaceuticals

The extensive use of pharmaceuticals has resulted in the release of large quantities of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment, and therefore it is necessary to develop various methods and materials suitable for pharmaceutical degradation. The photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic degradation of the organic pollutant attracts considerable attention because of its high efficiency, nontoxicity, and low cost. One of the most important photocatalytic candidates is TiO2. Since it is limited to UV-irradiation, significant efforts have been done to extend its absorption range into the visible light region through TiO2 doping or TiO2 composite formation. In this work, photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2/SnS2 composite were examined in the presence of three different pharmaceuticals (amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and desvenlafaxine). The interaction of an organic molecule and photocatalyst is an important parameter that influences the efficiency of the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic processes [1]. However, although in literature there is a large number of reports related to photocatalyst characterization by electrochemical methods, there is a scarce number of reports related to the influence of organic compounds on the photoelectrochemical activity of the material. The results obtained in this work have revealed that the electrochemical techniques, as an easy and fast method, can determine the adsorption process. TiO2/SnS2 composite was characterized in 0.1 mol dm-3 NaCl solution containing the pharmaceuticals by using linear polarization, open circuit potential monitoring, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. It was shown that the presence of pharmaceuticals decreases the photocurrent and increases the charge transfer resistance due to the adsorption process.

pharmaceuticals, photoelectrocatalytic degradation, TiO2/SnS2, adsorption

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