Exploring a Perovskite-type Catalyst for Diclofenac Photodegradation: a Comparative Investigation with TiO₂

A novel strontium-iron-based perovskite-type material (SrFeO₃) has been successfully synthesized and characterized as a promising photocatalyst for degrading diclofenac sodium (DCF). The catalyst was synthesized using the sol–gel method, resulting in a material with distinctive features, including a dense structure and a uniform distribution of metal components on the catalytic surface. The degradation efficiency of SrFeO₃ was compared to that of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), a well-established photocatalyst known for its effectiveness in degrading emerging contaminants. Under identical experimental conditions, SrFeO₃ achieved a degradation efficiency of 68% over 150 min, while TiO₂ reached 70%. Additionally, phytotoxicity tests performed on the post-treatment solution demonstrated a reduction in toxicity compared to the initial solution for both catalysts, indicating that SrFeO₃ has promising characteristics for the aqueous treatment of DCF. These results suggest that SrFeO₃ exhibits performance comparable to TiO₂ and could be a viable alternative for future water treatment applications. Furthermore, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis was employed to identify intermediate products and propose a plausible degradation pathway for DCF, highlighting SrFeO₃’s potential in facilitating DCF removal from aqueous environments.