Copper ferrite immobilized on chitosan: A suitable photocatalyst for the removal of ciprofloxacin, ampicillin and erythromycin in aqueous solution

Abstract

Copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) was immobilized on chitosan to produce CuFe2O4@Chitosan for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP), ampicillin (AMP), and erythromycin (ERY) in water. Characterization of CuFe2O4@Chitosan by X-ray diffraction revealed the crystallite size of 18.12 nm. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area is 9.95 m2 g−1. The vibrating sample magnetometry revealed a saturation magnetization of 37.69 emu g−1. The degradation efficiency by CuFe2O4@Chitosan towards CIP (94.6 ± 0.50%), AMP (92 ± 1.00%) and ERY (90.30 ± 0.50) presents it as a promising photocatalyst for the removal of antibiotics in aqueous solutions. Regeneration capacity showed CuFe2O4@Chitosan to be a promising photocatalyst for removal of antibiotics in water.

Keywords

• Antibiotics in water
• Chitosan
• Ferrites
• Photocatalysis
• Photodegradation