Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnFe2O4@g-C3N4 for enhanced adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin

Abstract

The persistence of antibiotic contaminants such as ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aquatic environments poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of efficient removal strategies. In this work, a zinc ferrite-anchored two-dimensional carbon nitride nanocomposite (ZF@2DCN) was synthesized via a simple calcination and hydrothermal approach to achieve synergistic adsorption–photocatalytic degradation of CIP under visible light. Structural and optical characterizations confirmed the successful formation of a ZF–2DCN heterojunction with high crystallinity, strong interfacial interactions, and enhanced visible-light absorption. The incorporation of ZF reduced the bandgap of 2DCN from 2.8 to 2.6 eV, promoting improved charge separation. Adsorption studies revealed rapid equilibrium within 30 min and multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous active sites, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 11.7 mg g-1. Under visible-light irradiation, ZF@2DCN achieved up to 81% CIP degradation within 60 min, exhibiting an apparent reaction rate approximately 2.5 times higher than that of pristine 2DCN. The enhanced performance is attributed to the strong synergy between adsorption-driven pollutant enrichment and photocatalytic degradation. Overall, ZF@2DCN shows strong potential as an efficient material for antibiotic removal in wastewater treatment.