Enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of g-C3N4 for ciprofloxacin degradation using Tetrakis (acetonitrile) copper(I) hexafluorophosphate as a highly effective cocatalyst

Ciprofloxacin antibiotic (CP) is one of the antibiotics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that has the highest rate of antibiotic resistance. This antibiotic undergoes incomplete metabolism within the human body and is excreted into the water, resulting in its hazardous biological and ecotoxicological effects. In this study, a novel photocatalyst, comprised of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) and Tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I)hexafluorophosphate ([(CH₃CN)₄Cu]PF₆), denoted as CuPF₆/g-CN, was employed for the degradation of ciprofloxacin under visible-light irradiation. The Cu complex, functioning as a co-catalyst, assumes a crucial role in facilitating the efficient separation of photogenerated charges and exhibiting high absorption in the visible-light region. More surprisingly, CuPF₆/g-CN does surpass by up to 6 times the behavior reached with bare g-CN. The experimental findings indicated that the optimal degradation of ciprofloxacin (CP) occurred after 50 min when using a concentration of 20 mg L^-1 CP and a concentration of 0.05 g/L CuPF₆/g-CN, under a pH of 8. This research offers valuable insights into the advancement of cost-effective co-catalysts that enhance the photocatalytic capabilities of established photocatalysts. It contributes to improving the overall performance and efficiency of these photocatalytic systems.