Exploring a Perovskite-type Catalyst for Diclofenac Photodegradation: a Comparative Investigation with TiO2

A novel strontium-iron-based perovskite-type material (SrFeO3) has been successfully synthesized and characterized as a promising photocatalyst for degrading diclofenac sodium (DCF). The catalyst was synthesized using the sol-gel method, resulting in a material with distinctive features, including a dense structure and a uniform distribution of metal components on the catalytic surface. The degradation efficiency of SrFeO3 was compared to that of titanium dioxide (TiO2), a well-established photocatalyst known for its effectiveness in degrading emerging contaminants. Under identical experimental conditions, SrFeO3 achieved a degradation efficiency of 68% over 150 min, while TiO2 reached 70%. Additionally, phytotoxicity tests performed on the post-treatment solution demonstrated a reduction in toxicity compared to the initial solution for both catalysts, indicating that SrFeO3 has promising characteristics for the aqueous treatment of DCF. These results suggest that SrFeO3 exhibits performance comparable to TiO2 and could be a viable alternative for future water treatment applications. Furthermore, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was employed to identify intermediate products and propose a plausible degradation pathway for DCF, highlighting SrFeO3's potential in facilitating DCF removal from aqueous environments.