Insight into the photothermal Fenton-like degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride by cu/Ce modified Na-X zeolites: Performance, mechanism, and degradation pathways

Abstract

Fenton catalytic oxidation is a prevalent advanced oxidation technology that can be integrated with photocatalysis and thermal catalysis to enhance the degradation of antibiotic wastewater. Zeolites, a distinctive class of crystalline material, are extensively employed in Fenton-like catalytic oxidation due to their robust structure and exceptional catalytic efficacy. In this study, we constructed a novel Cu/Ce-X catalyst via an ion exchange process based on a Na-X zeolite matrix. The crystal phases, framework structures, elemental compositions, specific surface areas, and photothermal catalytic activity of the composite catalyst were characterized systematically. The removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was 87.69 % in the photothermal Fenton-like degradation, and the apparent first-order kinetics rate constant was 13.6 times, 6.52 times, and 1.72 times greater than those of the Fenton-like, photo Fenton-like, and thermal Fenton-like systems, respectively. The adaptability, reusability, reaction mechanisms, and degradation pathways of the fabricated catalysts for the removal of TCH were investigated. The experimental and characterization results demonstrate that the redox cycling of Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ and Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ was enhanced through photogenerated electrons and thermal effects in the catalytic degradation process. The primary active species generated in the photothermal Fenton-like system is ·OH. The findings of this research provide a viable strategy for the treatment and remediation of water pollution.