Cathodic Photoelectrocatalytic Amitriptyline Removal Using Group IV Metal Selenide-Modified Gas Diffusion Electrodes

The increasing presence of emerging contaminants in water poses significant environmental and public health concerns. Among these contaminants are psychiatric pharmaceuticals, including antidepressants, which enter water bodies through various human activities. Amitriptyline (AMI), a commonly prescribed tricyclic antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety, is one such contaminant. Even at low concentrations, AMI can negatively affect aquatic organisms by causing endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, and genotoxicity. Therefore, developing effective technologies to remove AMI from water is important for protecting both ecosystems and human health.

 

Researchers at Arizona State University and collaborators have developed a water treatment technology that uses modified gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) to enhance the photo electrocatalytic degradation of amitriptyline in water. These GDEs are modified TiSe, ZrSe, and Hf2Se3 nanoparticles to remove AMI from water.  By combining UVA light irradiation with electrochemical oxidation that generates hydrogen peroxide, reactive oxygen species are produced to break down and mineralize AMI efficiently, enabling rapid and complete pollutant removal through a dual-pathway degradation process. Different electrode materials can be used to favor the production of either hydrogen peroxide or hydroxyl radicals, improving treatment efficiency. By combining photocatalysis and electrochemistry, this approach accelerates contaminant degradation, shortens treatment time, and improves the removal of persistent pharmaceutical pollutants from water.

 

Through combined UVA photoelectrocatalysis and electrochemical oxidation, these innovative gas diffusion electrodes efficiently degrade pharmaceutical pollutants and improve water quality.

 

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