Enhanced activity of clinoptilolite-supported hybridized PbS–CdS semiconductors for the photocatalytic degradation of a mixture of tetracycline and cephalexin aqueous solution

• Increasing in the photocatalytic activity of PbS and CdS by hybridizing of supporting them.
• Photodegradation dependent to PbS/CdS ration of the supported semiconductors.
• Hydroxyl radicals impart in degradation of TC + CPX pollutants not super oxide.

Supported PbS–CdS onto clinoptilolite nano-particles (PbS–CdS–NCP) showed good photocatalytic activity for degradation of a mixture of tetracycline (TC) and cephalexin (CPX) in aqueous solution under Hg lamp irradiation. Samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, DRS, and TEM. The degradation extent was followed by UV–vis spectrophotometry and the obtained results confirmed by COD. While, the best degradation efficiencies were obtained in the optimal experimental parameters (1.5 g L−1 of the photocatalyst, 100 folds diluted solution at pH 3.0), but significant decrease in the degradation efficiencies was observed in the presence of NaCl, Na2CO3, H2O2, and Na2S2O8. The results confirmed that OH is responsible for the degradation of the pollutants because adding of isopropanol, as an effective OH scavenger, into the suspension significantly decreased the degradation efficiency.

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