Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Using Batch and Flow Reactors

Barboza, Michelle; Ditzler, Brent

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Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Using Batch and Flow Reactors

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Pharmaceutical byproducts and antibiotics are often contaminants left in wastewater streams that can’t be degraded by traditional methods. Photocatalytic reactions have been emerging as a potential solution to this issue as well as emerging as a new technology for synthesis. These types of reactions use light to excite a substrate along with a catalyst to further enable the chemical reaction. While these types of reaction offer great potential, current reactor systems lack throughput and experience low efficiency arising from limitations in optical path length of light among several others. The team compared and evaluated the use of wireless LEDs to conventional external irradiation in batch reactors then created a new, novel flow system for the degradation of a model substrate, tetracycline. The team determined that the wireless LEDs provided superior degradation, with 39% conversion of the initial feed in batch. Even greater conversions of 56% were observed in flow while simultaneously increasing throughput, achieving greater energy efficiency, and promising scalability.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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