Efficient Self-cleaning and antibacterial ceramics with active sites fully exposed obtained from rare earth waste

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 366; p. 121708
• Main Authors: Bian, Shiliang, Li, Guobiao, Wang, Zhi, Zhang, Zhihan, Cheng, Shuping, Zheng, Wenjing, Wang, Dong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Active sites; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial ceramics; Ceramics - chemistry; DFT; Metals, Rare Earth - chemistry; Rare earth polishing powder waste; Recycling; Self-cleaning; Self-cleaning; DFT; Antibacterial ceramics; Active sites; Rare earth polishing powder waste
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121708

The utilization of rare earth polishing powder waste (RPW) to prepare antibacterial ceramics can effectively avoid problems of pollution in the recycling process and waste of rare earth resources. Herein, a novel RPW-based antibacterial ceramics was developed, which possesses the core-shell structure with ceramics as the cores and the CeO2/BiOCl as the superficial coating. The antibacterial ceramics display notable antibacterial activity, and the inactivation rates of 3.3 log under visible light irradiation in 30 min and 2.4 log under darkness in 1 h were achieved, and the zone of inhibition values was found to be 16.6 mm for E.coil. The hardness of antibacterial ceramics was measured to be 897 (±38) HV, higher than commercial porcelain's hardness (600 HV). The antibacterial mechanism was verified by the Ce ion release, reactive species, and fluorescence-based live/dead cells. This study presents a novel antibacterial ceramic structure and green economic reuse method of rare earth waste. The antibacterial ceramics obtained from the rare earth polishing powder waste via FIEG method, which can continuously and effectively achieve antibacterial activity under dark and light. [Display omitted] •Antibacterial ceramics were obtained from rare-earth polishing powder waste.•The active sites were fully exposed due to the core-shell structure of ceramics.•The ceramics display a notable antibacterial rate of 3.34 log in light.•This study provides a novel approach to reuse rare-earth waste.