Pharmaceuticals entering the environment pose a serious problem. Even at trace concentrations, they can adversely affect aquatic organisms and human health. However, conventional wastewater treatment plants are often unable to effectively remove these substances. Scientists from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with their partners, have therefore developed a new composite material capable of degrading pharmaceutical pollutants not only under UV-A light, but also in the dark – without any additional energy input.
This so-called “dual” catalyst combines oxides of copper, manganese, and titanium. Its structure enables two distinct degradation mechanisms: under light, it activates classical photocatalysis with the formation of reactive radicals; in the dark, redox processes take over, utilizing oxygen bound in the material’s crystal lattice. A unique feature of this system is its ability to regenerate its active components continuously.
In this study, the model contaminant was diclofenac – a commonly used analgesic that ranks among the most frequently detected pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment. The new material was able to effectively decompose this compound within several tens of minutes.
The results were published in the prestigious journal Catalysis Science & Technology, highlighting the potential of smart catalysts for sustainable water treatment. The project was carried out within the framework of the research programs Strategy AV21 – “ The Power of Objects: Materiality between Past and Future” (web: https://materialita.usd.cas.cz/en/) and NanoEnviCz (https://www.nanoenvicz.cz/en).
