Amoxicillin degradation by iron photonanocatalyst synthetized by green route using pumpkin (Tetsukabuto) peel extract

Amoxicillin is a pharmaceutical compound that is not degraded in wastewater treatment plants, causing harm to the environment. In this work, an iron nanoparticle (IPP) was synthesized using pumpkin (Tetsukabuto) peel extract for the degradation of amoxicillin under UV light. The IPP was characterized using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The photocatalytic efficiency of IPP was analyzed by investigating the effect of IPP dosage (1–3 g L−1), initial amoxicillin concentration (10–40 mg L−1), pH (3–9), reaction time (10–60 min), and the effect of inorganic ions (1 g L−1). The optimum conditions for the maximum photodegradation removal (≈60%) were IPP = 2.5 g L−1, initial amoxicillin concentration = 10 mg L−1, pH = 5.6, and irradiation time = 60 min. The results of this study showed that inorganic ions (Mg2+, Zn2+, and Ca2+) negatively affect the photodegradation of amoxicillin by IPP; the quenching test showed that hydroxyl radical (OH•) is the primary reactive species of the reaction; NMR analysis revealed changes in amoxicillin molecules after photoreaction; the subproducts of photodegradation were identified by LC-MS; the proposed kinetic model demonstrated good applicability, predicting the behavior of OH• and determining the kinetic constant, and the cost analysis based on required energy (238.5 kWh m−3 order−1) indicated that the amoxicillin degradation method by IPP is economically viable. This study developed a new efficient iron nanocatalyst for the removal of antibiotics from aqueous environments and provided optimal conditions and relevant information in the area of advanced oxidative processes. [Display omitted] •Antibiotic residues are increasingly found in the environment.•The main problem of antibiotics in the environment is the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.•Conventional effluent treatments are not sufficient for the complete degradation of antibiotics.•The IPP exhibited favorable characteristics for application in amoxicillin degradation under UV light.•This work offers scientific insights on advanced oxidative processes, recalcitrant compound degradation, and green synthesis.