Design of in-situ nanoflower-shaped MIL@PANI@LDH coupling photocatalysis and persulfate activation for deep degradation of advanced glycation end products against complex sample matrix

Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) are becoming a prominent issue in the biomedical and food safety industries because of their strong relationship to human health. Here, a MIL@PANI@LDH photocatalyst was prepared by in-situ growth method, realizing thorough elimination of AGEs for the first time. The synthesized photocatalysts used MIL-101 holding remarkably specific surface area as the core and PANI with a large number of amino and imine groups as the linker to ensure excellent adsorption capacity. The lamellar LDH structure grown in the outermost layer, on the other hand, introduces a narrower band gap and stronger light absorption ability, capable of activating sodium persulfate (PS) and generating free radicals with powerfully oxidizing ability. They work in concert to achieve the effective degradation. Through the optimization of the reaction conditions, the best photochemical performance could be achieved with a Zn/Al molar ratio of 3:1, and the degradation rates of AGEs were greater than 99.8 % (within 150 min). Additionally, multiple radical synergistic and non-radical action pathways involved in the system were revealed. The precision-engineered catalysts also exhibited high stability, reusability, and desirable biosafety, offering an effective and sustainable solution to the problem of purifying hazardous substances in real application.