Abstract
In this study, visible-light induced photocatalytic degradation of sulfa drugs (a family of synthetic antimicrobial agents), is investigated by using Ti-TUD-1/alumina photocatalyst prepared by using sol-gel method. Both photocatalytic degradation rates and formation of decontaminated products [nitrates (NO3-, ammonium (NH4+) and sulphate (SO42-] are studied. Results showed that Ti-TUD-1/alumina has very high visible-light induced photocatalytic ability as sulfa I was almost completely converted (99%) to respective decontaminated products in comparison to sulfa II and III (95% and 88%, respectively). Sulfa I and III depicted higher degradation rates at low pH opposite to sulfa II which had higher catalytic degradation rates at higher pH. A reverse relationship between initial sulfa compounds concentration and reaction rate exits. Visible-light induced photocatalytic cracking of S-N bond of sulfa compound is one of the initial degradation pathways along with structure of each sulfa compound.