Research on the Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ and Its Application in Treating Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic in Water Environment
Main Article Content
Abstract
In this study, the BiVO4/g-C3N4 composite material was successfully synthesized using a combination of the hydrothermal method and calcination, and was applied to the degradation of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. The material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV−Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that BiVO4/g-C3N4 exhibited the structural, morphological, surface, and optical properties of each individual component. The formation of the BiVO4/g-C3N4 heterostructure facilitated more efficient charge transfer and suppressed electron–hole recombination, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity compared to pure BiVO4 and g-C3N4. Under visible light irradiation, 7 wt% BiVO4/g-C3N4 was identified as the optimal composition, achieving a Ciprofloxacin degradation efficiency of 76.45% after 360 survey minutes at pH = 7 and an initial concentration of 10 ppm
Keywords:
BiVO4/g-C3N4, composite material, photocatalyst, Ciprofloxacin
References
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[14] Josip Radić, Gregor Žerjav, Lucija Jurko, Perica Bošković, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Alenka Vesel, Andraž Mavrič, Martina Gudelj, Olivija Plohl. First Utilization of Magnetically-Assisted Photocatalytic Iron Oxide-TiO2 Nanocomposites for the Degradation of the Problematic Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin in an Aqueous Environment. Magnetochemistry, 10(9), 66, 2024. 14
[15] Iqra Mazhar, Muhammad Afzaal, Muhammad Altaf, Manzar Sohail, Raja Shahid Ashraf, Abdul-Sattar Nizami. Structurally engineered monolithic catalyst for enhanced sunlight-driven degradation of ciprofloxacin in contaminated water systems. Discover Sustainability, 6, 606, 2025.
[16] Haonan Chi, Pan Cao, Qi Shi, Chaoyu Song, Yuguang Lv, Tai Peng. Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin by GO/ZnO/Ag Composite Materials. Nanomaterials, 15(5), 383, 2025.
[2] Hoàng Thế Anh. (2022). Nghiên cứu, đánh giá khả năng xử lý dư lượng thuốc kháng sinh ciprofloxacin trong nước thải bệnh viện bằng hệ xúc tác quang hóa ZnO/GO. Luận văn Thạc sĩ, Học viện Khoa học và Công nghệ, Viện Hàn lâm Khoa học và Công nghệ Việt Nam
[3] Grenni, P., Ancona, V., & Barra Caracciolo, A. (2018). Ecological effects of antibiotics on natural ecosystems: A review. Microchemical Journal, 136, 25–39.
[4] Imran, M., Abdullah, A. Z., Khan, M. E., & Mohammad, A (2025). A focused review on photocatalytic potential of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) based metal oxide-nanostructures for effective remediation of most overused antibiotics. Journal of Environmental Management, 373, 123759.
[5] Pei, J., Li, H., Zhuang, S., Zhang, D., & Yu, D. (2023). Recent Advances in g-C3N4 Photocatalysts: A Review of Reaction Parameters, Structure Design and Exfoliation Methods. Catalysts, 13(11), 1402.
[6] Imran, M., Abdullah, A. Z., Khan, M. E., & Mohammad, A. (2025). A focused review on photocatalytic potential of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) based metal oxide-nanostructures for effective remediation of most overused antibiotics. Journal of Environmental Management, 373, 123759.
[7] Huang, Y., Jiang, M., Gao, S., Wang, W., Liu, Z., & Yuan, R. (2022). Non-radical pathway dominated by singlet oxygen under high salinity condition towards efficient degradation of organic pollutants and inhibition of AOX formation. Separation and Purification Technology, 291, 120921
[8] Pei, J., Li, H., Yu, D., & Zhang, D. (2024). g-C3N4-Based Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance: A Review of Fabrications, Applications, and Perspectives. Catalysts, 14(11), 825.
[9] Villatoro-García, J. A., López-Domínguez, R., Martorell-Marugán, J., Luna, J. D., Lorente, J. A., & Carmona-Sáez, P. (2023). Exploring the interplay between climate, population immunity and SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Mediterranean countries. Science of The Total Environment, 897, 165487.
[10] Dong, S., Lee, G. J., Zhou, R., & Wu, J. J. (2020). Synthesis of g-C3N4/BiVO4 heterojunction composites for photocatalytic degradation of nonylphenol ethoxylate. Separation and Purification Technology, 250, 117202
[11] Alizadeh, T., Nayerib, S., & Hamidia, N. (2019). Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)/graphite nanocomposite as an extraordinarily sensitive sensor for sub-micromolar detection of oxalic acid in biological samples. RSC Adv., 9, 13096-13103
[12] Abid, M. Z., Rafiq, K., Rauf, A., Shah, S. S. A., Jin, R., & Hussain, E. (2023). Synergism of Co/Na in BiVO4 microstructures for visible-light driven degradation of toxic dyes in water. Nanoscale Adv., 5, 3247-3259
[13] Sourav Das, Soumen Ghosh, Ananyo Jyoti Misra, Ashok J Tamhankar, Amrita Mishra, Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, Suraj K Tripathy. Sunlight Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin in Water Using Fe Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for Potential Public Health Applications. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(11):2440, 2018.
[14] Josip Radić, Gregor Žerjav, Lucija Jurko, Perica Bošković, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Alenka Vesel, Andraž Mavrič, Martina Gudelj, Olivija Plohl. First Utilization of Magnetically-Assisted Photocatalytic Iron Oxide-TiO2 Nanocomposites for the Degradation of the Problematic Antibiotic Ciprofloxacin in an Aqueous Environment. Magnetochemistry, 10(9), 66, 2024. 14
[15] Iqra Mazhar, Muhammad Afzaal, Muhammad Altaf, Manzar Sohail, Raja Shahid Ashraf, Abdul-Sattar Nizami. Structurally engineered monolithic catalyst for enhanced sunlight-driven degradation of ciprofloxacin in contaminated water systems. Discover Sustainability, 6, 606, 2025.
[16] Haonan Chi, Pan Cao, Qi Shi, Chaoyu Song, Yuguang Lv, Tai Peng. Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin by GO/ZnO/Ag Composite Materials. Nanomaterials, 15(5), 383, 2025.