@misc{10481/109242,
year = {2025},
month = {5},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/109242},
abstract = {Bismuth vanadate and its composites with graphene oxide (BiVO4/GO) were synthetized by a hydrothermal
method, varying the GO content (0.5–5.0 wt%) and the basification agent (NaOH, urea or none, as reference
sample). All materials were exhaustively characterized by complementary techniques and their activity was
assessed for the degradation of both methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cytostatic drugs in aqueous
solution under solar-LED irradiation. The addition of urea and GO in the synthesis favors the degradation of both
pollutants. This enhanced activity is due to the formation of BiVO4 and Bi2O2CO3 phases changing the symmetry
of the VO43– tetrahedra and the establishment of a heterojunction or rich-electron regions, which facilitate the
mobility of photogenerated charges towards graphenic layers. The most efficient photocatalyst was the composite
containing urea and 1.0 wt% GO (BiVO4-U/1GO), which achieved total degradation of MTX in 240 min
and 5-FU in 480 min. The immobilization of BiVO4-U/1GO was optimized, with the best results obtained through
dip-coating on 3D-Raschig rings (BR). In contrast, filtration proved to be more appropriate for 2-D α-Al2O3
membranes, as it enabled a homogenous distribution of higher amount of immobilized photocatalyst on the
membrane. This resulted in higher photoactivity (39.7 ×10–6 min–1 mg–1) compared to dip-coated membranes
and BR supports (21.0 ×10–6 and 23.3 ×10–6 min–1 mg–1, respectively). Reutilization experiments with coated
BRs demonstrated that the immobilized photocatalyst had a good stability and reusability for the MTX degradation
in recirculation mode. Finally, the MTX by-products formed during the reaction and the degradation
pathway were elucidated},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {BiVO4},
keywords = {Graphene oxide},
keywords = {Solar-LED},
keywords = {Methotrexate},
keywords = {5-fluorouracil},
keywords = {Immobilization},
keywords = {Flat membranes},
keywords = {Raschig rings},
keywords = {Water decontamination},
title = {Synthesis and immobilization of BiVO4/graphene oxide composites on 3D/2D structured supports for the solar-LED photocatalytic oxidation of cytostatic drugs in polluted water},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.117148},
author = {Pérez Molina, Álvaro and Pastrana-Martínez, Luisa María and Galata, E. and Theodorakopoulos, G.V. and Romanos, G.E. and Maldonado Hodar, Francisco José and Morales Torres, Sergio},
}