Photocatalytic Activation of Peroxodisulfate over the CuFe₂O₄/C/SiO₂ Nanocomposite for Tetracycline Hydrochloride Robust Degradation

The widespread use of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in treating bacterial diseases in humans and animals has resulted in significant environmental contamination, posing serious risks to water bodies and ecosystem functions. Herein, a novel CuFe₂O₄/C/SiO₂ nanocomposite derived from agricultural waste rice husk was developed to address the urgent need for effective TCH degradation. Comprehensive characterization of the synthesized materials conclusively demonstrates the successful incorporation of CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles within the C/SiO₂ matrix. The CuFe₂O₄/C/SiO₂ nanocomposite exhibits significantly superior photocatalytic activity for TCH degradation compared to that of both C/SiO₂ and CuFe₂O₄ individually, revealing a synergistic effect in promoting TCH degradation. The optimal performance was observed with a 3.0 wt % CuFe₂O₄/C/SiO₂ nanocomposite in the presence of 0.15 mM peroxymonosulfate (PMS), achieving 98.41% TCH removal within 15 min. The quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analyses revealed that TCH degradation occurred through the action of sulfate radicals (SO₄ ^•-), hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide (O₂ ^•-), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂). Our study demonstrates that the synergistic effect between CuFe₂O₄ and C/SiO₂ enhanced material stability and promoted catalyst-PMS bonding, thereby improving catalytic performance. These results suggest that CuFe₂O₄/C/SiO₂-activated PMS represents a promising technology for efficient TCH degradation in environmental remediation efforts.