Enhanced degradation of ciprofloxacin in water using ternary photocatalysts TiO2/SnO2/g-C3N4 under UV, visible, and solar light

In this study, we report on the synthesis of ternary photocatalysts comprising TiO 2 /SnO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in water. SnO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized via the sol–gel method, while g-C 3 N 4 was obtained through melamine calcination. Commercial TiO 2 and SnO 2 nanopowders were also used. The heterojunctions were synthesized via the wet impregnation method. The photocatalysts were characterized via various techniques, including XRD, TEM, STEM, FTIR, N 2 adsorption, UV–Vis DR, and hole tests. Photocatalytic degradation tests of CIP were carried out under UV, visible, and solar radiation. The P25/npA/g-C 3 N 4 (90/10) material exhibited the best performance, achieving CIP degradation of over 97%. The synthesized materials demonstrated excellent initial adsorption of CIP, around 30%, which facilitated subsequent degradation. Notably, the CIP photocatalytic degradation tests performed under solar radiation showed a synergistic effect between the base materials and carbon nitride in highly energetic environments. These results highlight the effectiveness of ternary photocatalysts TiO 2 /SnO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 for CIP degradation, particularly under solar radiation.