Fabrication of CuxO/TiO2 hybrid nanocomposite by the synergetic effect of mixed phytoextract of agro-waste materials for enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity in degradation of ciprofloxacin

Abstract

The current study presents the environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of visible light active Cu<inf>x</inf>O/TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite using the mixed plant extracts of areca nut exocarp (peel) and soapnut pericarp (shell) for photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic which is an emerging water contaminant. Cu<inf>x</inf>O/TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite was synthesised by one pot method by simultaneous addition of precursors using the mixed aqueous extract. It consisted of CuO, Cu<inf>2</inf>O and TiO<inf>2</inf> in all the crystalline phases with a band gap energy of 1.7 eV. The nanocomposite exhibited mixed morphology consisting of needle-like and particulate structures. The Cu<inf>x</inf>O/ TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite facilitated 94 % degradation of 10 ppm ciprofloxacin within a span of 120 min under visible light irradiation. The Cu<inf>x</inf>O/ TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite synthesized using the mixed extract exhibited superior photocatalytic activity than that synthesized solely with either areca nut peel extract or soap nut shell extract. The phyto-fabricated Cu<inf>x</inf>O/ TiO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite showed better visible light-mediated photocatalytic activity than the phyto-fabricated Cu<inf>x</inf>O, phyto- fabricated TiO<inf>2</inf> and Degussa P-25. The kinetics of degradation followed pseudo-first order kinetic model with the rate constant of 0.0218 min?1. Thus, the phyto-fabricated Cu<inf>x</inf>O/ TiO<inf>2</inf> demonstrated a good potential as a photocatalyst to harness solar light in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with pollutants of emerging concern. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.