A novel g-C₃N₄ based CeO₂ loaded ternary CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ hetero-junction catalyst for the efficient removal of enrofloxacin from the veterinary wastewater

The recent research study investigates the synergistic effects of CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ ternary heterojunction composite catalyst on the photocatalytic elimination of enrofloxacin (ENF) under visible-light illumination. The P-XRD and the FTIR techniques confirmed the successful fabrication of CoFe₂O₄ with spinel geometry and CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄ synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method and their composite with g-C₃N₄ via ultrasonication. The structural, morphological, and optical attributes of as-fabricated CoFe₂O₄, CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄, and CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ photo-catalysts were characterized using BET, SEM, PL, and UV–Vis, techniques. These studies revealed that by composite formation, the surface and optical properties of CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ were increased compared with their counterparts. The photocatalytic performance of CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ composite was evaluated by its capability towards the photoremoval of ENF. The 98.25% photo-removal performance towards the elimination of ENF was demonstrated by CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄@g-C₃N₄ composite catalyst in only 60 min, as compared to their other counterparts, i.e., CeO₂ loaded CoFe₂O₄ (73.63%), and CoFe₂O₄ (57.30%) under similar reaction conditions. This superior photo-removal performance was accredited to the interfacial interactions between the two heterojunction catalysts (CeO₂/CoFe₂O₄ and g-C₃N₄), which facilitate the faster mobility of photogenerated charge pairs with excellent stability. This study can ensure new insights for preparing visible light-activated hybrid catalysts for the treatment of antibiotics in contaminated hospital wastewater.