Enhanced adsorption-catalysis strategy with COF-Ti3C2 photocatalyst for simultaneously inactivating antibiotic resistance bacteria and degrading antibiotic resistance genes

Antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in pharmaceutical wastewater pose serious threats to human health and ecosystems. Traditional disinfection methods have limitations in removing ARB and ARGs, and advanced oxidation processes are hampered by the competition of dissolved organics for reactive species. Herein, we propose a synergistic enhanced adsorption-catalysis strategy by integrating Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets into covalent organic framework (COF) based heterojunction photocatalyst. The excellent electronic conductivity of Ti 3 C 2 promotes electron capture from photoexcited COF, enhancing charge separation and the generation of reactive species. In-situ characterizations confirm Ti-O-P covalent bonding between DNA phosphate skeleton and Ti sites promote ARGs adsorption. This advanced system achieves 99.9 % inactivation of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and 98.9 % simultaneous ARGs degradation, with peak abundance of extracellular ARGs reduced 72.4 % of control without Ti 3 C 2 . In a continious-flow reactor operated for three consecutive 12 h cycles, the prepared photocatalyst realizes consistent inactivation and degradation including ARB, ARGs and antibiotics of pharmaceutical wastewater. This work provides new implications for controlling resistance risk spread during sewage disinfection. This work develops a COF-Ti 3 C 2 photocatalyst that synergistically combines targeted antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) adsorption with enhanced electron harvesting capabilities to achieve simultaneous bacterial inactivation and resistance gene degradation. The Ti 3 C 2 component selectively adsorbs ARGs through Ti-O-P covalent bonding while facilitating efficient photogenerated electron transfer for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. • Ti 3 C 2 cocatalyst enhances COF photocatalysis, facilitating reactive species generation. • In-situ characterization confirms Ti-O-P bond form between catalyst and DNA. • Ti-O-P bonding prevents ARGs release during ARB inactivation in water. • The COF-Ti 3 C 2 system demonstrates robust stability in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. • The photocatalyst effectively removes antibiotics, ARB, and ARGs from real wastewater.