Highly efficient removal and detoxification of ochratoxin a in wine via adsorption-photocatalytic synergy of polymerized dopamine-wrapped magnetic titanium dioxide

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widespread mycotoxin contaminating fruits and related products worldwide. Given its significant threats to public health and substantial economic consequences, the development of an efficient and safe detoxification strategy has become pressing necessity. This study synthesized Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PDA composites via sol-gel method and alkaline PDA grafting, capable of efficiently removing OTA in wines. The characterization results confirmed that Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PDA has a hierarchical structure consisting of Fe 3 O 4 cores, TiO 2 layers, and PDA coatings, with ~13.47 emu/g saturation magnetization. Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PDA showed enhanced methylene blue photocatalytic activity and acid tolerance compared with TiO 2 , and achieved 88.51% ochratoxin A (OTA) removal in wine via adsorption (82.83% in 2 h) and photocatalysis (5.68% in 2 h). After 8 cycles, the OTA removal efficiency remained at 33.10%. Degradation products were low-toxicity OTα and phenylalanine. These results validate Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PDA as a highly efficient photocatalyst for detoxifying OTA in wine.