Photocatalysis and degradation products identification of deoxynivalenol in wheat using upconversion nanoparticles@TiO composite.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most common contaminants of cereal grains. Efficient and environmental-friendly technology to eliminate DON is important for food safety and environmental protection. In this work, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) coated with titanium dioxide (TiO) photocatalysts were synthesized. Then, a photocatalytic experiment was performed to test the impact of NaYF:Yb,Tm@TiO of DON degradation. Our results showed the DON degradation rate at 10 μg/mL under simulated sunlight using NaYF:Yb,Tm@TiO (6 mg/mL) approached 100% within 60 min at pH 8.0. UPLC-Q-TOF MS was used to monitor the degradation process and three degradation products were identified, namely CHO, CHO and CHO. Subsequently, we studied the photocatalytic degradation of DON in wheat, providing a theoretical basis for photocatalytic degradation of contaminated grain samples. This study demonstrated that UCNP@TiO photocatalysis has the potential for detoxification in food security applications.