Chestnut Waste-Derived Fe-Based Photocatalyst for Diclofenac Degradation

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the use of chestnut waste as a green and circular material for developing iron-based photocatalysts for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) photodegradation. Four Fe-based catalysts and two pristine biochars were obtained upon a pyrolysis pr...

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Main Authors: Marianna Guagliano, Ana Bahamonde, Maurizio Bellotto, Cinzia Cristiani, Elisabetta Finocchio, Antonio Gasco, Virginia Muelas-Ramos, Karla Jiménez-Bautista, Christian de los Ríos, Daphne Hermosilla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:C
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5629/11/2/38
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Summary:This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the use of chestnut waste as a green and circular material for developing iron-based photocatalysts for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) photodegradation. Four Fe-based catalysts and two pristine biochars were obtained upon a pyrolysis process at 500 and 700 °C and fully characterised. Due to the applied synthesis, iron is present in the form of isotropic grains of magnetite (Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>), quite homogeneously dispersed onto the biochar. The textural properties of all the materials are mainly determined by the pyrolytic temperature, which results in macroporous materials at 500 °C and microporous ones at 700 °C. Fe-based catalysts were tested in Diclofenac (DFC) photodegradation. DFC removal was the result of both adsorption and photocatalytic reactions. Despite the good yield in DFC removal (80–100%), the formation of degradation by-products can partially invalidate the good effectiveness of this approach. However, the encouraging results of this study represent a step forward for the possible development of waste-derived biochar-based catalysts for in-field application.
ISSN:2311-5629