Intan Farhani, Nadiatus Silmi, Fitri Khoerunnisa, John Philia, Swasmi Purwajanti, Nur Rohmah, Diana Rakhmawaty Eddy, Nur Farhana Binti Jaafar, Ni Luh Wulan Septiani, Athanasia Amanda Septevani
Antibiotic residues in aquatic ecosystems remain persistent contaminants that promote bioaccumulation and the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant genes. Photocatalysis is a viable method for degrading antibiotics. This work developed a sustainable photocatalyst by integrating TiO2 with mesoporous silica derived from rice husk waste, offering a novel strategy for the valorization of agricultural waste in wastewater treatment. The optimal synthesis conditions for SM were achieved at 120 °C for 12 h via the solvothermal method, producing high-purity silica with low bulk density. The SMT-0.5 composite with an SM-to-TiO2 ratio of 1:2 exhibited the best photocatalytic performance. The decoration of titania enhanced the surface area from 70.12 to 90.80 m2 g−1 and resulted in the formation of mixed anatase–rutile phases with a band gap of 2.85 eV. Under optimal conditions, the composite SMT-0.5 achieved degradation efficiencies of 94%, 98%, and 99% toward amoxicillin, betamox, and rifampicin, respectively, following pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Radical-scavenging analysis demonstrated that e⁻, ·OH, and ·O2⁻ played key roles in the photocatalytic process. The findings demonstrate that mesoporous silica derived from rice husks has the potential to serve as an effective, environmentally friendly support for TiO₂-based photocatalysts for treating antibiotic wastewater. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.
Research Center for Electronics, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bandung, 40135, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Pardjadjaran University, Sumedang, 45363, Indonesia; Research Center for Environmental and Clean Technologies, National Research and Innovation Agency, South Tangerang, 15314, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Indonesia University of Education, Bandung, 40154, Indonesia; Research Collaboration Center for Electrochemistry, BRIN – Diponegoro University, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia; School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Gelugor, 11800, Malaysia
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