Graphitic carbon nitride-modified cerium ferrite: an efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and erythromycin in aqueous solution

Incomplete removal of antibiotics by most known wastewater treatment plants is a global challenge. Therefore, graphitic carbon nitride-modified cerium ferrite (CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄) was synthesized to remove antibiotics (ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin) from water. CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ showed activity in the visible light with a Tauc plot revealing the bandgap energy (2.46 eV). The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) result revealed the surface of CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ to be heterogeneous, while the transmission electron micrograph (TEM) image confirmed a flaky with rod and oval shaped surface (average particle size of 42.22 nm). CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ exhibited a 100% removal of all the studied antibiotics from aqueous solution in a photocatalytic degradation that is described by pseudo-1st-order kinetics. CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ demonstrated a high regeneration capacity, which is above 90% at the 12th cycle of treatment without any observable changes in its phase structure which suggests a promising chemical stability and reusability. CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ compared favourably with some selected antibiotic degradable photocatalysts suggesting the economic viable of CeFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ as photocatalyst for the purification of antibiotics-contaminated water.