An ideal visible nanocomposite (Fe/GTiP) photoanode catalyst for treatment of antibiotics in water and simultaneous electricity generation in the photocatalytic fuel cell

The photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) has been studied for the wastewater treatment and electricity generation by degrading antibiotic organic pollutant berberine chloride (BC). Through a simple chemical process Fe/GTiP anode and ZnIn2S4 cathode catalysts were prepared and loaded them on carbon fiber cloth. Up to 79% BC (10 mg/L) was removed with simultaneous electricity generation of 0.65 V within 90 min under pH-7 in PFC by using visible light (two 50-W halogen lamps). PFC is better with 79% BC removal and electricity generation than only 79% removal in photocatalysis (PC) without generating any clean energy. Under photocatalysis Fe/GTiP can remove 70% of BC, higher than 54% with GTiP and 12% with TiP at 50 mg catalyst/50 mL (10 mg/L BC). The photocatalytic performance of Fe/GTiP was also compared with commercial P25 and pure TiO2. The obtained removal of 17.4% and 13.25% BC (10 mg/L) with P25 and TiO2 proves that with more visible light absorption Fe/GTiP has significant photocatalytic effect than P25 and pure TiO2. The impacts of external resistance, concentration of catalyst, pH, and electrolyte were investigated in the PFC. Removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) (10 mg/L) followed the same trend as BC under photocatalysis with Fe/GTiP, GTiP and TiP (78%, 60% and 33% at pH-7). The removal of 89% TC (30 mg/L) in 90 min was also achieved with Fe/GTiP. The experimental study shows that Fe/GTiP visible light nanocomposite is ideal for removing antibiotics in water by photocatalysis or with simultaneous electricity generation through PFC.