New Publication from Our Team: Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics in Wastewater

We are pleased to announce that a new article from our research team has been published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. The work was led by our PhD student Mir Saeed Sajjadi, who is also the first author of the study.

The article, titled “Synergistic effects of Ti₃C₂ MXene and ZIF-8 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in wastewater”, presents innovative research on advanced materials for environmental remediation.

This study addresses a pressing global issue: the growing presence of antibiotics in water sources and the associated risks to human health. The team successfully developed Ti₃C₂/ZIF-8 nanocomposites, combining MXene nanolayers with ZIF-8 nanoparticles to achieve highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic tetracycline.

Key findings include:

  • The optimized nanocomposite (TZ0.1) degraded 76% of tetracycline within one hour under UV light irradiation, outperforming pure ZIF-8 (42%).

  • Analyses confirmed favorable charge transfer mechanisms and enhanced pollutant accessibility thanks to improved dispersibility of the composite.

  • The material showed excellent stability and reusability, maintaining more than 64% efficiency after 10 cycles.

The research was carried out under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Jose J. Velazquez and is the result of collaboration between:

This publication demonstrates the strong potential of MXene-based composites in environmental applications and highlights the strength of our international scientific collaborations.