The influence of ILs on TiO2 microspheres activity towards 5-FU removal under artificial sunlight irradiation

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 573; p. 151431
• Main Authors: Wilczewska, Patrycja, Pancielejko, Anna, Łuczak, Justyna, Kroczewska, Malwina, Lisowski, Wojciech, Siedlecka, Ewa M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.01.2022
• Subjects: 5-fluorouracil; Anticancer drug; Ionic liquids; Phenol; Photocatalysis; Titanium dioxide; 5-fluorouracil; Ionic liquids; Anticancer drug; Phenol; Titanium dioxide; Photocatalysis
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.151431

[Display omitted] •Optimal ratio TBOT to [TMBA][Cl] in TiO2_Ils synthesis was equimolar.•[TMBA][Cl] increased 5-FU degradation efficiency under solar light irradiation.•Holes were stabilized by the presence of [TMBA][Cl] on the photocatalysts surface.•The mechanism of drug removal was mainly based on direct holes oxidation. In this work, the effect of various ionic liquids (ILs), namely, choline chloride [Chol][Cl], hexadecylpyridynium chloride [HDPy][Cl], and tributylmethylammonium chloride [TBMA][Cl], on the morphology, surface composition in relation to photocatalytic oxidation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and phenol in the presence of TiO2 photocatalysts under artificial sunlight conditions was investigated. The highest photoactivity towards cytostatic drug removal was found when [TBMA][Cl] was used for the synthesis, for phenol removal photoactivity was not changed in all cases. Among the selected ionic liquids, only [TMBA][Cl] made it possible to form the Ti3+ species, which was equivalent to the occurrence of oxygen vacancies and was beneficial for the photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the increase of ILs-TiO2 photoactivity was assigned to the presence of IL or IL’s organic residues on the photocatalyst surface responsible for better hole and electron separation. The mechanism of 5-FU degradation over the most photoactive photocatalyst was varied under different types of light irradiation, and •OHfree radicals were the major entities in the drug removal under UV light, while holes and •OHfree radicals under solar light. These studies represent a promising approach to cytostatic drug removal in the presence of TiO2 microspheres prepared in the presence of others than imidazolium-based ILs.