Effect of Ce incorporation into ZnAlNi layered double hydroxide on the simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

This study investigates the effect of cerium incorporation on the physicochemical properties of ZnAlNi layered double hydroxides (LDH) and its implications for the photocatalytic degradation of sulfonamide antibiotics in ultrapure and natural (lake) water matrices. Structural characterization confirmed the formation of a typical LDH phase with preserved lamellar organization after Ce incorporation. The LDH ZnAlNiCe exhibited enhanced degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ) and sulfamethazine (SMZ), achieving approximately 80% removal of the antibiotics after 120 min, compared to about 60% for the undoped material. Importantly, the ZnAlNiCe maintained high photocatalytic performance in lake water, achieving approximately 94% and 85% degradation of SMZ and SDZ, respectively, demonstrating strong resistance to matrix effects.