Self-regenerating photocatalytic hydrogel for the adsorption and decomposition of methylene blue and antibiotics in water

Here we demonstrate the highly efficient adsorption and degradation of Methylene Blue and the antibiotics Tetracycline, Ofloxacin, and Ciprofloxacin using a TiO2-hydrogel nanocomposite that exhibits photocatalytic properties. The nanocomposite is synthesized through the thermal-polymerization of acrylic acid monomer in the prescence of TiO2 nanoparticles (21 nm) and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and FT-IR. The nanocomposite efficiently adsorps the contaminants in water and UV irradiation decomposes the adsorbed compounds in the hydrogel regenerating the material for further activity.