Outstanding performance of the microwave-made MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2 anode on the removal of antimicrobial activity of Penicillin G by photoelectrolysis

Abstract This paper studies the applicability of a novel microwave-prepared mixed metal oxide (MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2) anode in the electrolysis and photo-electrolysis of synthetic urine intensified with Penicillin G. Results are compared with those obtained using boron-doped diamond (BDD) as the anode. In general, electrolysis with both anodes are effective in terms of penicillin removal, and the combination with UV radiation shows a clear synergistic effect on the degradation of Penicillin G: 420% and 355% using MMO and BDD, respectively. The outstanding performance of the MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2 anode is demonstrated by the decrease in toxicity and the reduction of the antibiotic effect on the urine observed during photo-electrolysis. Notably, photo-electrolysis using the MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2 anode generates solutions with almost zero residual toxicity and without antibiotic effect, with lower specific energy consumption than using BDD anode. The remarkable performance of the microwaves-prepared MMO-Ti/RuO2IrO2 coatings makes them very promising for being used in the electrochemical treatment of sanitary wastes.