Photocatalytic degradation of aflatoxin B1 by activated carbon supported TiO2 catalyst

The photocatalytic efficiency of activated carbon supported TiO2 catalyst (AC/TiO2) for degradation of aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) under UV-Vis light was evaluated in this study. AC/TiO2 was prepared by simple hydrothermal synthesis and characterized by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR. The various factors including catalyst dosage, pH value and light source affecting the degradation efficiency of AFB(1) were also investigated. The higher degradation efficiency of AFB(1) by AC/TiO2 composite (98%) than bare TiO2 (76%) were attributed to a higher surface area and enhanced visible light intensity by the synergy of AC and TiO2. The degradation process of AFB(1) was fitted with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. In addition, the catalyst can be easily separated from the solution and keep good activity. The hole (h(+)) and the hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) were found to play an important role in the degradation of AFB(1). These results demonstrated that AC/TiO2 possess synergy of high absorption capacity and photoactivity, thus supplying a simple, efficient and green approach for the degradation of AFB(1).