Catalytic activity of Gd-doped Ni-Co ferrites in Fenton-like degradation of oxytetracycline

Editorial Board PCSS Journal; Iryna Starko; Nazarii Danyliuk; Liubov Soltys

doi:10.15330/pcss.27.2.335-340

Authors

Iryna Starko Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Nazarii Danyliuk Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Liubov Soltys Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15330/pcss.27.2.335-340

Keywords:

Ni-Co ferrite, gadolinium, oxytetracycline, Fenton-like degradation, spinel, water treatment

Abstract

In this study, the efficiency of Gd-doped Ni-Co ferrites for the adsorption-catalytic removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) from aqueous solutions was evaluated. A series of ferrites with the composition Ni_0.5Co_0.5Gd_xFe_2-xO₄ (x=0; 0.01; 0.25; 0.5) were synthesized by the sol-gel autocombustion method, and their catalytic activity was evaluated in the presence of 30 mM H₂O₂ and under the action of electromagnetic heating (EMH). The Ni_0.5Co_0.5Gd_0.01Fe_1.99O₄ sample demonstrated the highest OTC degradation efficiency, achieving 100% removal of 25 mg/L OTC in 30 min, with a reaction rate constant of 0.1416 min^-1. The Ni_0.5Co_0.5Gd_0.025Fe_1.975O₄ and Ni_0.5Co_0.5Gd_0.05Fe_1.95O₄ samples showed significantly lower activity with constants of 0.0446 and 0.0444 min^-1, respectively, and the degree of OTC removal decreased to 67-80% depending on the concentration. Electromagnetic field generates heat locally in the catalyst, which accelerates the formation of reactive oxygen species (•OH), increases the reaction rate constant and contributes to the effective destruction of the antibiotic. Excessive Gd doping leads to reduced catalyst efficiency. Increasing the OTC concentration reduces the degradation rate, probably by blocking the active centers of the catalyst. The obtained results demonstrate the promising potential of Ni_0.5Co_0.5Gd_0.01Fe_1.99O₄ in combination with H₂O₂ and EMH for the rapid and effective removal of antibiotics from water, which is important for environmental protection.

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