Photodegradation of ibuprofen using 5-10-15-20-tetrakis(4-bromophenyl) porphyrin conjugated to graphene quantum dots

Ibuprofen (IBU) is a common anti-inflammatory drug that is consumed by many individuals in the world. As such, analytical studies have detected high concentrations of the drug in many waterbodies, which poses a risk of harmful effects on the environment and public health. The hydroxyl radical technologies, a collective of techniques also known as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), can be utilized to degrade this emerging pollutant. In this study, the photodegradation of ibuprofen using 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-bromophenyl) porphyrin conjugated to graphene quantum dots was investigated using a custom-built photoreactor. Three different concentrations of IBU (200, 300 and 500 μM) were utilized as initial concentrations. The pH of the IBU was varied between acidic (pH 3.0), natural (pH 5.0) and alkaline (pH 9.0) to note the effect on IBU degradation as a function of time. The Highest ФΔ was obtained for InTBrP- GDQs (ФΔ = 0.80), followed by InTBrP (ФΔ = 0.74). The photodegradation efficiency of the TBrP-GQDs and InTBrP-GQDs were determined to be 43.2 and 76.1% respectively.