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17 α-Ethinylestradiol Degradation in Continuous Process by Photocatalysis Using Ag/Nb2O5 Immobilized in Biopolymer as Catalyst

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Abstract

This study describes the application of Ag/Nb2O5 catalysts, suspension and spheres alginate immobilized for the degradation of 17α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2). The techniques used to characterize the photocatalysts were as follows: X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption–desorption analysis (BET), point charge zero charge (PZC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Different catalyst calcination temperatures were studied by keeping the silver metal loading at 5%. Among the operational conditions analyzed were pH, catalyst concentration, the emitting source of radiation and the inlet flow rate (in continuous operation). The results of the experiments performed initially with the catalyst in suspension revealed that the highest catalytic activity in the degradation of EE2 was the 5%Ag/Nb2O5 catalyst calcined at 973 K, which removed 77.7% of the initial pollutant concentration in 120 min of reaction. The immobilization of the catalyst in alginate spheres resulted in a degradation reduction, being able to degrade 69.2% of the initial EE2 in a batch system. In the continuous system, the immobilized catalyst obtained a total degraded of 37.3%, with a flow rate of 10 L·h−1. Catalyst reuse was promising, even dropping the removal, degrading around 27% of the initial EE2 concentration in the third cycle of use.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Brazilian agencies CNPq, CAPES and Fundação Araucária for financial support of this work, C2MMa and Brazilian Mining and Metallurgy Company – CBMM and are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER (Fundo Eropeu de Desenvolvimento Regional) under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Rua Doutor Washington Subtil Chueire, 330, Ponta Grossa, PR, 84017-220, Brazil

    Giane G. Lenzi & Eduardo Abreu

  2. Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, 87020-900, Brazil

    Eduardo Abreu, Maria Eduarda K. Fuziki, Michel Z. Fidelis & Onélia A. A. dos Santos

  3. Departamento de Química, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Via do Conhecimento, s/n—Km 01, Pato Branco, PR, 85503-390, Brazil

    Rodrigo Brackmann

  4. Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253, Bragança, Portugal

    Jose L. Diaz de Tuesta & Helder T. Gomes

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  1. Giane G. Lenzi
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Correspondence to Giane G. Lenzi.

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Lenzi, G.G., Abreu, E., Fuziki, M.E.K. et al. 17 α-Ethinylestradiol Degradation in Continuous Process by Photocatalysis Using Ag/Nb2O5 Immobilized in Biopolymer as Catalyst. Top Catal 65, 1225–1234 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-022-01624-3

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