Treatment of Aqueous Solutions of Pharmaceutical Drugs Using Bio-Inspired Catalysts
Project no. 1197 · Status: Kapanmış · 2018
Summary
Bio-inspired copper oxide, ferric oxide, cobalt oxide catalysts were prepared from pollen and tomato skin bio-templates according to the modified bio-inspired catalyst preparation procedures derived from literature. The surface morphologies of the pollen and tomato skin inspired catalysts were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The micrographs demonstrated that pollen grains and tomato skin bio-templates were successfully mimicked by copper oxide, ferric oxide, and cobalt oxide metal structures. The phases, surface areas and the magnetic properties of the bio inspired catalysts were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) analyzes respectively. Acetaminophen, which is one of the most commonly used analgesic drugs all over the world, was selected as the target pharmaceutical compound to be treated in the advanced oxidation processes in the presence of bio-inspired catalysts. The photocatalytic performances of the bio-inspired catalysts were tested and compared at various catalyst loadings and UV light intensities. In the catalyst screening experiments, tomato skin inspired copper oxide (TCu) was selected as the most suitable biomimetic catalyst among the pollen or tomato skin inspired copper oxide, iron oxide, and cobalt oxide catalysts, and a parametric study was conducted in the presence of the selected catalyst. The parametric study on Photo Fenton-like (PFL) oxidation of acetaminophen was performed according to the Box-Behnken Experimental Design. The influences of the initial pH, catalyst loading, and the initial H2O2 concentration on acetaminophen degradation were investigated in the presence of TCu catalyst. The optimum reaction conditions were determined by maximizing the response. Total Organic Carbon measurements and toxicity tests were performed to assess the suitability of the treatment process. The catalytic performances of the pollen and tomato skin inspired catalysts were tested in catalytic wet air oxidation process operated at two different temperatures. According to the results tomato skin inspired CuO catalyst showed the highest acetaminophen removal performance as in PFL oxidation process. Since it is difficult to recover these bio inspired catalysts after they were used under high temperature and pressures, the most effective bio-inspired catalyst was prepared on graphene support material. TCu-XGO (TCu: Tomato skin inspired copper oxide; GO: Graphene oxide; X, weight percentage of graphene oxide: 10, 50, and 90) catalysts were prepared and their performances were tested in catalytic wet air oxidation process. The most effective graphene oxide supported biomimetic catalyst was determined as TCu-50GO according to the catalytic performances and catalyst cost evaluation. A parametric study on CWAO of acetaminophen was performed by using to the Box-Behnken Experimental Design. The influences of the catalyst loading, reaction temperature, and reaction pressure on degradation of acetaminophen was investigated in the presence of TCu-50GO catalyst. Under the optimum reaction conditions toxicity tests were carried out and mineralization analysis is performed. A kinetic study was performed to derive the reaction rate models expressing the catalytic wet air oxidation of acetaminophen in the presence of TCu-50GO catalyst. In the context of the kinetic study, the suitability of both of the homogeneous and heterogeneous models was investigated. First and second order reaction kinetics was tested for the evaluation of the homogeneous models. In order to derive heterogeneous reaction model equations, the concentrations of oxygen in the gas and liquid phase and on the catalyst surface were determined as well as the concentration of acetaminophen in liquid phase and on the catalyst surface, the suitability of the Eley Rideal and Langmuir Hinshelwood models was investigated.