B2O3‐Nanoparticles‐Decorated N‐Rich Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites for the Enhanced Visible‐Light‐Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin

Abstract

The occurrence of pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment is a mounting concern due to their detrimental effects on living organisms, including humans. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a regularly used antibiotic detected in wastewater and surface water. Therefore, developing effective, sustainable strategies for its elimination is paramount. Photocatalysis is an efficient approach that has been widely recommended for the removal of CIP from water. However, improved photocatalyst performance, stability, and activation in abundant visible light are essential for better photocatalyst systems. In this study, a novel boron‐oxide‐decorated nitrogen‐rich reduced graphene oxide (B2O3/N‐rGO) nanocomposite is prepared and characterized for its photocatalytic performance toward CIP degradation. The B2O3/N‐rGO nanocomposites are in situ synthesized via wet chemical route, and the morphology and structural properties of nanocomposites are extensively characterized. In the results, it is shown that the B2O3/N‐rGO nanocomposite demonstrated significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance (98%, 3 h) compared to N‐rGO and pure B2O3 toward the degradation of CIP under visible‐light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic benefit of B2O3 and N‐rGO, which improves light absorption, charge separation efficiency, adsorption sites, and delayed electron–hole recombination. In summary, the synthesized B2O3/N‐rGO nanocomposite photocatalyst can potentially be applied for various environmental remediation and energy‐related applications.