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Ag@helical chiral TiO2 nanofibers for visible light photocatalytic degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol

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Abstract

Ag-modified helical chiral TiO2 NFs (Ag@chiral TiO2 NFs) were fabricated and characterized by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This novel material exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in water under visible light irradiation with an optimum size of deposited silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in the range of 12 ∼ 14 nm. The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k obs) for EE2 photodegradation by Ag@chiral TiO2 NFs increased by up to a factor of 20.1 when compared with that of pure chiral TiO2 NFs. The high photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the interactions between helical chiral TiO2 NFs and surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag NPs. The new catalyst retains its photocatalytic activity at least up to five consecutive cycles. The results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of using Ag@chiral TiO2 NFs for the photocatalytic removal of EE2 and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals from water.

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Acknowledgments

The study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51322901 and No. 51479066), Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51421006) and a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Xikang Road #1, Nanjing, 210098, People’s Republic of China

    Chi Zhang, Yi Li, Dawei Wang, Wenlong Zhang, Qing Wang, Yuming Wang & Peifang Wang

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  1. Chi Zhang
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  2. Yi Li
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  3. Dawei Wang
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  4. Wenlong Zhang
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  5. Qing Wang
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  6. Yuming Wang
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  7. Peifang Wang
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Correspondence to Yi Li.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Zhang, C., Li, Y., Wang, D. et al. Ag@helical chiral TiO2 nanofibers for visible light photocatalytic degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 10444–10451 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4251-y

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