SinoXivVisible-light-driven degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride over 15 wt% Cu-doped CeO2 photocatalyst: Mechanism and performance study
Abstract
In this study, a series of Cu nanoparticle-loaded CeO₂ (Cu-CeO₂) photocatalysts were successfully prepared through a hydrothermal route. The products were applied in the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the 15 wt% Cu-CeO₂ sample achieved the best activity, degrading 85.3% of TCH within 60 min. The apparent reaction rate constant reached 33.84×10⁻³ min⁻¹, which was 5.12 times higher than that of pure CeO₂. The improved performance is mainly attributed to the narrowed bandgap, enhanced visible-light absorption, and accelerated charge separation efficiency induced by Cu loading. Based on characterization results and quenching experiments, a reasonable photocatalytic mechanism for TCH degradation over Cu-CeO₂ was proposed.
Citation Information
@article{chengchengli2026,
title={Visible-light-driven degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride over 15 wt% Cu-doped CeO2 photocatalyst: Mechanism and performance study},
author={Chengcheng Li},
journal={Research Square},
year={2026},
doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9477633/v1}
}
