Sustainable preparation of zeolitic imidazolate framework/cellulose/TiO2 nanopolymer from Sesame wastes for photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin

A novel green Cell/ZIF-8/TiO2 nanopolymer was synthesized by functionalizing cellulose extracted from sesame waste with TiO2 and incorporating it into a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8). The structural and morphological properties of the nanocomposite were confirmed via SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV–Vis, DRS, and XRD analyses. Its photocatalytic activity was systematically investigated for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under sunlight. The results showed that the nanopolymer achieved the highest degradation efficiency at pH 7, with an initial CIP concentration of 10 mg/L and a catalyst loading of 1 g/L, corresponding to a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.0726 min⁻¹. Scavenger tests identified superoxide radicals ($$\:{\text{O}}_{2}^{{\cdot\:}-}$$) as the primary reactive species, while TOC analysis indicated 61.2% mineralization of CIP. The nanopolymer maintained high photocatalytic efficiency across different water matrices, produced non-phytotoxic degradation products, and demonstrated excellent stability over seven reuse cycles with negligible metal leaching. These findings highlight the potential of Cell/ZIF-8/TiO2 as an effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly photocatalyst for removing pharmaceutical contaminants from water.