Photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen in aqueous solutions by TiO2/ZSM-5 zeolite with low energy irradiation

• TiO2/ZSM-5 photocatalysts were synthesized by a sol–gel method.
• The degradation rate increasing with the increasing of oxygen concentration and the decreasing of Ace concentration.
• The kinetic equation was achieved based on the experimental data.
• The initial step for Ace degradation and main intermediates were studied.

Photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen (Ace) in water was studied using Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) supported TiO2 materials, which were synthesized using a sol–gel method. The structural features of the photocatalysts were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface area (BET) measurements. The best loading content of TiO2 over ZSM-5 was 40 wt% and the initial concentration of Ace was controlled at 15 mg L−1 with low intensity irradiations of 0.97 mW cm−2, the degradation rate can reach to 96.6% after 180 min irradiation. Hydroxylation and photolysis were proposed as the initial step for Ace degradation. Main reaction intermediates and products were identified by GC–MS analysis. Additionally, the material was regenerated four times, while the degradation of Ace remained at a higher level of approximately 90%.