Ce-modified NH2-MIL-88B enhances catalytic ozonation for effective antibiotic degradation

Ying Yang; Shengwen Zhou; Yaoru Mao; Yuerong Zhou; Xiuwen Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2025.121388

Ce-modified NH₂-MIL-88B enhances catalytic ozonation for effective antibiotic degradation

Environ Res. 2025 Mar 18:275:121388. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121388. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ying Yang¹, Shengwen Zhou¹, Yaoru Mao¹, Yuerong Zhou¹, Xiuwen Cheng²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, PR China.
² Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, PR China. Electronic address: chengxw@lzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 40113061
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121388

Abstract

A Ce-doped NH₂-MIL-88B(Fe) composite (Ce-NM8B) was synthesized via a hydrothermal method and used to catalyze ozone oxidation to degrade levofloxacin (LEF) in water. Moreover, comprehensive characterization of Ce-NM8B, including crystal structure, surface morphology, and electrochemical properties, was performed using XRD, SEM, BET, XPS, FT-IR, and ICP techniques. As a result, the Ce-NM8B/O₃ system achieved an 84.2 % degradation of 10 mg/L LEF within 40 min under optimal conditions (0.20 g/L catalyst dosage, 0.20 L/min ozone flow, pH 7). Furthermore, EPR and radical quenching experiments confirmed the generation of ·OH, O₂·^-, and ¹O₂ species, in addition to direct ozone oxidation and catalytic adsorption. Additionally, HPLC-MS analysis identified key degradation pathways, including piperazine, quinolone, and morpholine ring cleavage, alongside decarboxylation, defluorination, and demethylation. In terms of toxicity, evaluation using T.E.S.T. revealed that intermediate products exhibited reduced toxicity. Moreover, Ce-NM8B demonstrated stable performance over three cycles. Finally, the system's applicability and practical potential were confirmed through the degradation of several antibiotics and testing in natural water substrates.

Keywords: Catalytic ozone; DFT calculations; Levofloxacin; NH(2)-MIL-88B; ROS.