Researchers at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have developed a photocatalyst that uses light to remove antibiotic residues from water while producing hydrogen, a clean fuel. The project combines water treatment with the development of sustainable energy technologies. This was reported by Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS.
During experiments, the catalyst removed more than 98 per cent of ciprofloxacin within 90 minutes under visible light from LED lamps. The team also found that 88 per cent of the antibiotic was converted into harmless products. Meanwhile, the rate of hydrogen production was five times higher than that achieved using either of the catalyst’s constituent materials separately.
To develop the technology, the researchers combined manganese dioxide and zinc indium sulphide, treating the surface of the manganese dioxide with phosphate. This modification improved the material’s response to light and increased its efficiency in both pollutant removal and hydrogen production.
The catalyst uses light to generate electrical charges that drive chemical reactions. These charges can recombine rapidly, limiting the efficiency of the process. The phosphate treatment helps keep them separated for longer, allowing more of them to contribute to breaking down antibiotic residues and producing hydrogen.
The findings could support the development of technologies that use sunlight to treat contaminated water and generate renewable energy. Although the experiments were conducted under visible-light LED lamps, the results provide a basis for further research into applications that combine water resource protection with clean energy production.