Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin with Supramolecular Materials Consisting of Nitrogenous Organic Cations and Metal Salts

Abstract

The design and synthesis of composite materials with new structures/properties have important practical significance for the degradation of organic pollutants in aquatic environments. On this basis, five new supramolecular materials {[L1]2·[Cu4I8]}(1), {[L1]2·[Ag4I8]}(2), {[L2]·[ZnBr4]}(3), {[L3]2·[AgI5]}(4), {[L3]·[CdBr3Cl]}(5) were synthesized by introducing an amino group into a series of nitrogen-containing cationic ligands (L1–L3) through the reaction of polybromomethylbenzene with 4-aminopyridine. The degradation effect of catalysts 1–5 on ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light was studied using their potential catalytic properties. The results showed that compounds 1 and 4 had better degradation effects compared to other compounds. Moreover, compounds 1 and 4 were proved to be excellent catalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of CIP with cyclic experiments. Through further exploration, it was found that neutral conditions and 20 mg compound dosage were more conducive to the photodegradation of CIP by the compound. Through free radical capture experiments, it was found that ·OH played a major role in the photodegradation of CIP.