Efficient removal of ciprofloxacin by BiFe1-xCuxO3 for the photo assisted heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate activation

The study synthesized a series of novel solar light responsive photocatalysts, Cu-doped BiFeO3 perovskites (BiFe1_ xCuxO3, BFCO), via a simple sol-gel method. Its effective application as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator under simulated solar irradiation towards ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation was investigated. The asprepared samples were characterized by various technologies such as XRD, TEM, BET, XPS, UV-vis DRS et al. The results revealed that Cu was successfully inserted into the BiFeO3 lattice and the Cu-doping could significantly reduce the optical band gap from 1.85 to 1.70 eV, as well as effectively facilitate the separation of electron-hole pair. Notably, the BiFe0.92Cu0.08O3 (0.08BFCO) exhibited the optimal catalytic performance and 80% of CIP could be degraded within 180 min with the addition of 1 mmol/L PMS and 0.6 g/L 0.08BFCO. By contrast, the reaction rate constant of 0.08BFCO was 1.8 times higher than that of pure BiFeO3. Free radical quenching experiments indicated that 1O2, .O2_ and h+ were the dominant active species involved in photocatalytic degradation. The excellent degradation performance could be ascribed to the synergy among 0.08BFCO photocatalyst and PMS activation. Moreover, 0.08BFCO maintained their photo-Fenton catalytic activity after three consecutive cycle reaction, indicating the excellent stability and recyclability of 0.08BFCO. Current study might propose new perspectives for the designing innovative metal doped photocatalysts towards the pollutant degradation assisted by solar light.

Automated summary

The study successfully synthesized Cu-doped BiFeO3 perovskites via a sol-gel method, which effectively reduced the optical band gap and improved the separation of electron-hole pair, leading to efficient degradation of ciprofloxacin under simulated solar irradiation. The optimized 0.08BFCO showed excellent catalytic performance, high stability, and recyclability, indicating potential for innovative metal-doped photocatalysts in pollutant degradation assisted by solar light.