Effect of pH and active radical on the photodegradation of Ciprofloxacin antibiotic in wastewater using novel catalyst based on rGO/halloysite composite decorating with copper iron oxide

Abstract

A new generation photocatalyst CuFe2O4/rGO/halloysite nanotube (HNT) was manufactured using a simple procedure in this work. Material characterisation results reveal that the CuFe2O4 active phase with a size of around 30-40 nm is spread rather consistently across the sandwich-like structure of rGO/HNT. The material's bandgap energy is around 1.9 eV, which boosts the material's capacity to function even in the visible light area. The catalytic activity test showed that the catalyst, with an active phase composition of 70% by weight, was able to completely decomposing CIP after just 1 hour of light. The pHpzc value and pH impact were also investigated. The findings suggest that the material can completely handle CIP in a neutral environment (pH = 7). Scavenger tests also demonstrated the involvement of reactive radicals in CIP degradation, with holes (h+) and hydroxyl radicals (●OH) having the major effect. These important results constitute the basis for the in-depth investigations of the CIP degradation mechanism.