Selective adsorption-photocatalytic synergistic breakdown of sulfamethazine in milk using loaded molecularly...

To remove antibiotics from milk effectively, molecularly imprinted Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂ photocatalysts (MAT) were prepared using sulfamethazine (SMZ) as a template and butyl titanate as a functional monomer. Molecularly imprinted Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂ films (MATs) were constructed using quartz glass tubes as the carrier. The morphology and structure of MAT, the properties and mechanism of degradation of SMZ by MATs, and the nutrition and safety of milk were evaluated. The results showed that MAT formed obvious imprinted cavities and n-p-type heterojunctions. Moreover, MATs exhibited the highest degradation rate (82.4 %) of SMZ, an enhanced selectivity factor α (3.98), and adsorption capacity Q (8.47 mg/g), which did not alter protein, fat, or acidity values in milk and no photocatalyst residue was detected. The high photocatalytic activity and selectivity of MATs for SMZ were mainly attributed to the presence of imprinted holes that matched the template molecules, the large specific surface area, the formation of n-p-type heterostructures, and Z-type charge transfer.