In this study, a novel Cu-CuO/TiO composite photocatalyst was synthesized using combined sol–gel and impregnation methods. Several technologies were employed to characterize the morphology, crystalline structure, optical properties, and surface composition of the as-synthesized photocatalysts. The successful preparation of the Cu-CuO/TiO composite was confirmed with superior properties compared to pure TiO and Cu-CuO composite. The results for the degradation experiment employing sulfamethazine (SMZ) as the target pollutant indicated that the CT9 (the theoretical molar ratio of Cu(CHCOO) to TiO was 9:1) composite exhibits the best photocatalytic performance, and the degradation rate of SMZ reaches 98.2% after 60 min of irradiation. The good repeatability of CT9 was proved by five-cycle experiments. Radicals trapping experiments indicated that superoxide radicals and holes were primary oxidative species in photocatalytic degradation of SMZ. Eleven intermediates for SMZ degradation were identified employing LC-MS technology and the possible degradation pathways were proposed. ECOSAR models were used to predict the biotoxicity of the degradation intermediates. The present research exhibits a new opportunity for the construction of Cu-CuO-based photocatalysts to remove contaminants from antibiotic wastewater.

中文翻译：

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Cu-CuxO/TiO2 复合材料高效光催化降解磺胺二甲嘧啶：性能、光催化机理和降解途径


本研究采用溶胶-凝胶和浸渍相结合的方法合成了一种新型 Cu-CuO/TiO 复合光催化剂。采用多种技术来表征合成光催化剂的形态、晶体结构、光学性质和表面组成。与纯 TiO 和 Cu-CuO 复合材料相比，Cu-CuO/TiO 复合材料的成功制备被证实具有优越的性能。以磺胺二甲嗪（SMZ）为目标污染物的降解实验结果表明，CT9（Cu(CH3COO)与TiO的理论摩尔比为9:1）复合材料表现出最佳的光催化性能，SMZ的降解率达到照射 60 分钟后为 98.2%。五循环实验证明了CT9良好的重复性。自由基捕获实验表明，超氧自由基和空穴是 SMZ 光催化降解的主要氧化物种。采用 LC-MS 技术鉴定了 11 种 SMZ 降解中间体，并提出了可能的降解途径。 ECOSAR 模型用于预测降解中间体的生物毒性。目前的研究为构建 Cu-CuO 基光催化剂去除抗生素废水中的污染物提供了新的机会。