3D/1D Fe₃O₄@TiO₂/TC-TiO₂/SiO₂ Magnetic Inorganic-Framework Molecularly Imprinted Fibers for Targeted Photodegradation

To achieve a selective degradation of pollutants in a water body, 3D/1D magnetic molecularly imprinted fibers Fe₃O₄@TiO₂/TC-TiO₂/SiO₂ were fabricated by an electrospinning method. The molecularly imprinted layer was successfully prepared by a direct imprinting method using TiO₂ as a functional monomer. Fe₃O₄ facilitates the catalyst recovery and light utilization. The as-prepared fibrous photocatalyst has a large specific surface area of 132.4 m²/g. The successful generation of imprinted sites was proven by various characterizations. The weak interaction between the inorganic functional monomer and tetracycline (TC) was determined to be van der Waals force and hydrogen bonds by the IGMH isosurface theory. The construction of the 3D/1D homojunction of molecularly imprinted materials is beneficial to charge transfer. The as-prepared photocatalyst exhibits a high selectivity coefficient α = 737.38 competing with RhB. The TC removal efficiency reached 100% within only 20 min. In addition, the possible degradation pathway and the degradation mechanism are reasonably proposed. This work not only provides an in-depth mechanism of the weak interaction between the inorganic molecularly imprinted functional monomer and pollutant molecules but also offers new thoughts on the fabrication of photocatalysts for the effective and selective treatment of pollutants in water bodies.