Work

Chitin-Assisted Fabrication of an Fe3O4/BiOCl Composite for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A novel recyclable composite, Fe3O4/chitin/BiOCl, was synthesized via a solvothermal approach using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (Bi(NO3)3·5H2O), chitin, and Fe3O4 as precursors. The composite was systematically characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, ultraviolet–visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Characterization results indicated that the incorporation of chitin significantly improved the porosity and specific surface area of the catalyst. Furthermore, the synergistic effects between chitin and Fe3O4 effectively reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated by degrading ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible-light irradiation. When the contents of Fe3O4 and chitin were 5% and 2% (by weight), respectively, the catalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance with a degradation rate of 89.54%, and the rate constant was 5.1 times higher than that of pure BiOCl. Additionally, the catalyst exhibited excellent magnetic recoverability and photocatalytic stability.

Source: Molecules

DOI: 10.3390/molecules31010134

Authors: Xiaoxing Zeng, Kunlei Wang, Hongting Ye, Xiaofeng Gong, Yanhong Yao, Fei Feng

Institution: Nanchang University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,258