Abstract

In this study, magnetic nanocomposites (CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs) made-up of CuFe2O4 and TiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared through a low-frequency (40 kHz) ultrasound-aided sonochemical approach. The comprehensive analytical characterizations, including XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, TEM and HAADF-STEM micrographs confirmed successful formation of the CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs with enhanced crystallinity and uniform distribution of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles (∼10 nm) on the TiO2 surface. The microstructural analysis revealed the exposure of (200) and (211) facets of CuFe2O4, while the bandgap energy of the CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs was 1.5 eV, indicating their potential towards the solar visible-light-driven photocatalytic applications. Consequently, photocatalytic performance of the CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs was evaluated for the degradation of persistent β-lactam antibiotic cephalexin (CPX) under natural solar light irradiation. The CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs achieved degradation efficiency of 60 % for CPX within 60 min at first order rate constant of 7.5 × 10−4 s−1. Meanwhile, introduction of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity by attaining complete degradation of CPX within 20 min at first order rate constant of 25.43 × 10−4 s−1, due to synergistic generation of SO4•– and •OH radicals. A threefold enhancement in CPX degradation was observed by the CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs + PMS system compared to the system without PMS. The CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs + PMS system demonstrated accelerated CPX mineralization. These findings highlight the potential of CuFe2O4/TiO2 MNCs for advanced wastewater treatment applications and provide insights into the efficiency of various solar photocatalytic systems. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.