B₂O₃-Nanoparticles-Decorated N-Rich Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites for the Enhanced Visible-Light-Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin

The occurrence of pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment is a mounting concern due to their detrimental effects on living organisms, including humans. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a regularly used antibiotic detected in wastewater and surface water. Therefore, developing effective, sustainable strategies for its elimination is paramount. Photocatalysis is an efficient approach that has been widely recommended for the removal of CIP from water. However, improved photocatalyst performance, stability, and activation in abundant visible light are essential for better photocatalyst systems. In this study, a novel boron-oxide-decorated nitrogen-rich reduced graphene oxide (B₂O₃/N-rGO) nanocomposite is prepared and characterized for its photocatalytic performance toward CIP degradation. The B₂O₃/N-rGO nanocomposites are in situ synthesized via wet chemical route, and the morphology and structural properties of nanocomposites are extensively characterized. In the results, it is shown that the B₂O₃/N-rGO nanocomposite demonstrated significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance (98%, 3 h) compared to N-rGO and pure B₂O₃ toward the degradation of CIP under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic benefit of B₂O₃ and N-rGO, which improves light absorption, charge separation efficiency, adsorption sites, and delayed electron–hole recombination. In summary, the synthesized B₂O₃/N-rGO nanocomposite photocatalyst can potentially be applied for various environmental remediation and energy-related applications.