Promotion of sulfameter degradation by coupling persulfate and photocatalytic advanced oxidation processes with Fe-doped MOFs

The metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 was successfully doped with Fe via a facile solvothermal method. Fe-UiO-66 exhibited excellent solar photodegradation performance for sulfonamide antibiotics in water. The degradation rate of sulfameter by Fe-UiO-66 was 89.9% within 300 min under visible light, which confirmed the energy-saving and environmentally friendly properties of the material. Fe doping effectively improved the catalytic activity and reaction efficiency of Fe-UiO-66 by coupling photocatalysis with persulfate-based advanced oxidation. The favorable photocatalytic performance was mainly due to the introduction of Fe, which caused UiO-66 to extend into the solar range. In addition, quenching analysis confirmed that SO42− and O2− free radicals played a more prominent role than OH and h+. Furthermore, sulfonamide antibiotics were successfully degraded under sunlight. Thus, Fe-based materials have substantial potential for the removal of antibiotic pollutants from wastewater.