Harnessing the synergistic potential of CuFe2O4 /MIL-101(Fe) as a sustainable catalyst for visible light-driven ciprofloxacin photodegradation

The effective degradation of toxic water contaminants is essential for water purification. In this study, visible- light-active CuFe2O4/MIL-101(Fe) (CM-x, x = MOF wt%) composites were synthesized by doping CuFe2O4 onto MIL-101(Fe) at different weight percentages (10, 30, and 50 wt%). The structural, optical, and morphological properties of the composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), BET, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and photoluminescence (PL). The photocatalytic performance of the composites was evaluated for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation under visible light, with CM-30 demonstrating the highest catalytic activity. Optimal conditions were determined as a catalyst dosage of 0.45 g/L, pH of 3, and CIP concentration of 10 ppm, achieving a degradation efficiency of 97.27 % after 120 minutes. Hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) were identified as the dominant reactive species through scavenging experiments. The catalyst also showed excellent stability, with only a 7.6 % decrease in activity after four reuse cycles. These results indicate that CM-30 is a highly efficient and stable photocatalyst, making it a promising candidate for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment under visible light.