The application of N-doped TiO2-biochar nanocomposite for photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin and Sulfamethoxazole in real wastewater

This study aimed to synthesize biochar derived from Prosopis Juliflora (BC) to create N-doped TiO2/BC nanocomposites for degrading ciprofloxacin (CIP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). The material was prepared using a sol-gel method and analyzed through XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) . Degradation performance was tested under irradiation with a mercury arc lamp UV and direct sunlight. Results showed the formation of a highly crystalline anatase phase, a narrow bandgap of 2.56 eV, and a large surface area of 287.5 m 2 /g, which supports strong photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites achieved high degradation efficiencies of 98.6% for SMZ and 97.67% for CIP in 120 minutes. In real pharmaceutical wastewater, the efficiencies dropped to 85.2% in laboratory-scale tests and 78.4% in small-scale studies. The nanocomposite remained stable over five cycles, maintaining about 84.5% efficiency. This technology can address important environmental and public health concerns by mitigating water pollution.