Copper ferrite anchored on hexagonal boron nitride as peroxymonosulfate activator for ciprofloxacin removal

[Display omitted] •Copper ferrite anchored on h-BN (CuFeBN) was prepared using a hydrothermal method.•CuFeBN with 1:2 copper ferrite: h-BN has the best performance as PMS activator.•Cu(II)/Cu(I) and Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox cycling formed SO4− (main ROS) from PMS.•Excellent mineralization and good recyclability can be achieved. In this study, CuFe2O4 anchored on h-BN (CuFeBN) at various %w/w ratios was prepared via a hydrothermal method and characterized. The CuFeBN catalyst consists of irregular microparticle-like morphology with uniform CuFe2O4 distribution and magnetic property. It was employed as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal. The results indicated that CuFeBN with CuFe2O4:h-BN w/w ratio of 1:2 (or CuFeBN-12) performed the best with CIP removal efficiency exceeding 91% in 60 min (apparent rate constant, kapp = 0.0901 min−1). Higher CuFe2O4:h-BN w/w ratio resulted in increased CuFe2O4 agglomeration. Additionally, increasing the CuFeBN-12 loading and initial pH leads to gradual increase in kapp due to the increased catalytic sites and catalyst-to-PMS interaction, respectively. The redox cycling between Cu(II)/Cu(I) and Fe(III)/Fe(II) resulted in the formation of SO4−, acting as the main radical for CIP degradation and mineralization. Overall, the CuFeBN-12 shows remarkable potential as PMS activator for treating antibiotics in water.