La-doped NaTaO3 perovskite nanocrystals supported with α-Fe2O3 for sustainable visible-light-driven elimination of ciprofloxacin in water

Abstract

To date, the emergence of antibiotic waste in water has become an important issue for humans and other living organisms. The spread of such waste will influence human health and the effectiveness of such antibiotics. Accordingly, several research approaches are offered for the clean and safe elimination of such waste. Herein, we present a facile synthesis of visible-light-activated La-doped NaTaO3 perovskite nanocrystals (LNTO) supported with small amounts (1.0–4.0 wt %) of Fe2O3 (FO) nanoparticles to produce x%FO@LNTO nanocomposites. These FO@LNTO samples exhibited a mesostructured crystalline surface with a high surface area (200–230 m2 g−1). Additionally, the loading of FO nanoparticles onto LNTO resulted in a broad visible-light absorption and reduction of the bandgap (Eg) to 2.35 eV compared to 4.40 eV for the parent LNTO. The produced nanocomposite was tested for the photodegradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) as an emerging probe of antibiotic waste in water. The 3% FO@LNTO displayed a total elimination of 10 ppm CIP after 90 min of visible-light illumination with sustainable recyclability. This fascinating action of FO@LNTO is referred to as the formation of a close heterojunction between FO and LNTO that decreases the Eg value and enhances photocharge separation. This work implies the use of perovskite-based photocatalysts for reasonable elimination of antibiotic waste in water.