H-bonding effect of oxyanions enhanced photocatalytic degradation of sulfonamides by g-C3N4 in aqueous solution.

In this study, the effect of oxyanions on the photodegradation of sulfonamides by graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was investigated. The results showed that the presence of disilicate (DS) could substantially improve the photodegradation of sulfamethazine (SMZ) in g-C3N4 aqueous suspension. The primary mechanism for the enhancing effect of DS was hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) interaction. The hydroxyl groups (OH) and bridging oxygen (SiOSi) of DS can form H-bonds with the amine groups of g-C3N4 particles and sulfonamides, therefore soluble DS can act as a bridge to enhance the transfer and adsorption of SMZ onto the surface of g-C3N4 particles. The presence of DS did not change the mechanism of photodegradation, but there was an optimal concentration for DS to achieve the strongest enhancing effect. H-bonding effect was also found for other oxyanions derived from weak acids, such as silicate, dihydrogen phosphate and borate ions, because the partial ionization of these oxyanions allowed the existence of hydroxyl groups to form H-bonds. The present study not only deepens our understanding of the interface process of the photodegradation of sulfonamides in g-C3N4 aqueous suspension, but also provides a potential method to enhance the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics in wastewater streams.