Electrochemical degradation of Cephalexin on Ti/TiO₂/βPbO₂ anode modified by sodium dodecyl sulfate

The possible environmental dangers of antibiotics include excessive use, wastewater discharge, and resistance to biodegradability. Therefore, efficient and environmentally friendly methods to remove such pollutants are necessary to preserve global ecosystems and human life. Electrochemical oxidation using lead-based electrodes is an effective approach for the treatment of resistant organic pollutants. In this research, a Ti/TiO₂-βPbO₂ electrode was synthesized for the electrochemical degradation of Cephalexin. To increase the efficiency and stability of the electrode, βPbO₂ electrodeposition was performed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The performance of the electrode in the degradation and mineralization of Cephalexin was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry, and the maximum degradation efficiency and maximum COD removal of 97.60% and 70.27%, respectively, were obtained. In addition, the degradation mechanism was studied using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The findings indicated that the Ti/TiO₂-βPbO₂ electrode exhibited desirable electrocatalytic performance in the degradation and mineralization of Cephalexin. Therefore, wastewater contaminated with antibiotic residues can be treated before discharging into the sewage system and the environment by this approach.