Photocatalytic degradation of propranolol hydrochloride using Nd–TiO 2 nanoparticles under UV and visible light

Propranolol (PRO) hydrochloride is one of the most commonly used β-blockers for cardiovascular diseases that is frequently detected in aquatic environment. Photocatalytic removal of propranolol using an efficient UV and visible light responsive neodymium (Nd)-modified photocatalyst has been investigated. Nd–TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple ultrasonic method with Nd-modified in the range of 0–1.0 mol% to evaluate the effects of Nd3+ content in crystal structure and photocatalytic activity. The TiO2–Nd 0.10% sample was the most efficient photocatalyst to degrade PRO with 95% and 90% degradation after 60 min under UV and visible light radiation, respectively. The characterization analysis revealed that neodymium is dispersed on the surface semiconductor, where probably forming Ti–O–Nd bonds, which can induce oxygen vacancies and surface defects. The effective separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes was regarded as the main reason for the high photocatalytic activity. The effective separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes was regarded as the main reason for the high photocatalytic activity.