Tailored Co- and Sn-Doped YMnO₃ Perovskites for Sustainable Removal of 17&alpha;-Ethinylestradiol

Szabolcs Bognár; Paula Sfirloaga; Predrag Putnik; Vesna Despotović; Nina Finčur; Dušica Jovanović; Daniela Šojić Merkulov

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Tailored Co- and Sn-Doped YMnO₃ Perovskites for Sustainable Removal of 17α-Ethinylestradiol

Szabolcs Bognár

^{*

1},

Paula Sfirloaga

²,

³,

¹,

¹,

¹,

Daniela Šojić Merkulov

¹ Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
² National Institute of Research and Development for Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, Dr. A. Paunescu Podeanu Street, No. 144, 300569 Timisoara, Romania
³ Department of Food Technology, University North, Trg dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia

Academic Editor: Olga Sacco

Published: 03 April 2026 by MDPI in The 1st International Online Conference on Photochemistry session Photochemistry for Environmental Remediation

Abstract:

The widespread occurrence of organic pollutants in water has prompted research into advanced purification strategies. 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic estrogen widely used in contraceptives and hormone therapies, poses serious health risks, including prostate cancer and reduced sperm production. Heterogeneous photocatalysis, an advanced oxidation process, offers an efficient and sustainable solution for removing such contaminants.

The aim of this study was to investigate new (un)doped perovskite materials (YMnO₃, Sn-doped YMnO₃, and Co-doped YMnO₃) in the photocatalytic degradation of EE2, under different experimental conditions (catalyst type, initial pH) using simulated solar irradiation (SSI), as well as a reusability test.

The obtained results showed that the highest photocatalytic efficiency was achieved in the presence of the Co-doped YMnO_3,where 70% of EE2 was successfully removed after 120 min of SSI. The higher activity of the doped material compared to the pristine YMnO₃ was explained by the sponge-like morphology and the higher surface area. Since the highest removal efficiency was recognized for Co-doped YMnO_3,the experiments regarding the influence of initial pH on the photocatalytic activity were carried out in the presence of this newly prepared material. The obtained findings demonstrate that the highest removal efficiency was achieved without modifying the initial pH value of ~9. This behavior was explained by the favorable electrostatic interactions between YMO-Co and EE2. Moreover, photocatalyst reusability was assessed over three consecutive cycles in the presence of Co-doped YMnO₃, under SSI conditions, at pH 9 in ultrapure water. Only a slight decrease in photocatalytic efficiency (≤5%) was observed, indicating that the catalyst retained high activity even after three successive runs.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Grants No. ‪451-03-137/2025-03/ 200125 & 451-03-136/2025-03/200125).

Keywords: water pollution; organic pollutants; 17α-ethinylestradiol; YMnO₃ perovskites; water remediation; heterogenous photocatalysis; simulated solar irradiation

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