Efficient degradation of amoxicillin using Bi2O3/Fe synthesized by microwave-assisted precipitation method

Abstract

Bi2O3/Fe material has been successfully synthesized using the microwave-assisted precipitation method. This study aims to analyze the effect of Fe on the characteristics of Bi2O3 and its ability to photodegrade amoxicillin. XRD characterization showed that all samples (Bi2O3/Fe 0–9%) formed an α-Bi2O3 phase. The addition of Fe concentration did not significantly change the crystal structure of α-Bi2O3. The morphology of Bi2O3/Fe is mostly rod and spherical porous which is indicated as Bi2O3 and Fe particles. EDX characterization informed that all samples contained Bi, O, and Fe elements which were evenly distributed. The addition of Fe up to 3% will increase the crystallite size and specific surface area of Bi2O3 but decrease the energy gap. Meanwhile, the addition of more than 3% Fe causes an increase in the energy gap of the Bi2O3 but will decrease the crystallite size and specific surface area. Bi2O3/Fe 3% is the best sample because it has the largest crystallite size (29.1 nm), the lowest energy gap (2.02 eV), the largest specific surface area (6.864 m2/g), and can degrade amoxicillin to 76.34% with a degradation rate of 0.0079 min−1.

Keywords

• Bi2O3/Fe
• microwave irradiation
• photodegradation
• amoxicillin