Photodegradation of Antibiotic Using TiO2 as a Catalyst: A Review

Abstract

The use of antibiotics in the community harms the environment. Due to the use of antibiotics is a risk of antibiotic resistance. Photodegradation was a method that could be used to reduce this impact. Photodegradation is a decomposition process using photon energy assistance. The photodegradation process requires a photocatalyst, which is a semiconductor material when subjected to an energy photon. This jump of electrons causes electron holes that can interact with water solvents to form radicals. TiO2 is the most common photocatalyst that is used for the destruction of pollutants in aqueous solutions. Photochemically, TiO2 is a stable, non-toxic, widely available, and low-cost manufacturing process. Increasing the concentration of TiO2 catalyst will also increase the photodegradation activity of antibiotics, and the longer time of the irradiation time will increase the antibiotic degradation.