Light-Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole Using Magnetic Cu-Doped TiO۲ Nanocatalyst

In this study, a novel solar light-driven magnetic heterogeneous nano-photocatalyst based on copper-doped titanium dioxide (Cu-TiO۲) was successfully synthesized and employed for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a common antibiotic pollutant. Comprehensive characterization confirmed the successful preparation of the nanocatalyst. The magnetic Cu-TiO۲ photocatalyst exhibited a reduced band gap (~۲.۴۵ eV), strong visible-light absorption, and superparamagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of ۱۹.۲۷ emu/g, enabling efficient SMX degradation and magnetic recovery. Under natural solar irradiation, the photocatalyst achieved over ۹۵% degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) within ۳۰ minutes, following pseudo-first-order kinetics. Radical scavenging experiments indicated that superoxide radicals (O۲) and holes (h) were the primary active species. The catalyst also demonstrated high stability and excellent reusability over seven cycles. These results suggest that this nanocomposite is a promising, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly photocatalyst for solar-driven wastewater treatment applications.

Keywords:

Sulfamethoxazole , Photocatalysis , Cu-doped TiO۲ , Solar Light , Magnetic Nanoparticles , Water Treatment