CdTe QDs@SiO₂ composite material for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline composites

In the contemporary context, tetracycline is widely utilized as a prevalent antibiotic in various facets of life. However, the excessive use of antibiotics has caused visible environmental consequences. Henceforth, the scientific community has increasingly focused on developing catalysts that exhibit exceptional efficacy in the proficient degradation of tetracycline. In this study, a novel nanomaterial was developed to encapsulate CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with a SiO₂ shell. The distinct synthesis approach generated a composite material that showed heterogeneity and considerably increased the contact area with contaminants. Consequently, the transfer of photoelectron to the SiO₂ spheres was significantly improved, leading to a more efficient separation during the catalytic process. The study investigated how different factors, such as the loading of the catalyst, the initial concentration of tetracycline, pH levels, and the wight ratio of CdTe QDs (SiO₂ + CdTe QDs) affected the effectiveness of photocatalytic tetracycline degradation. The findings indicated that the optimal degradation efficiency was observed at a catalyst concentration of 0.25 g/L and a solution pH of 9, leading to an impressive degradation rate of 96% within a mere 2 h timeframe.