SYNTHESIS OF WO3/rGO COMPOSITE FOR ENHANCED AQUEOUS CIPROFLOXACIN AND METHYLENE BLUE PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION UNDER VISIBLE LIGHT

Abstract

A heterojunction of two semiconductor materials, WO3 and rGO, was synthesized into a composite material
system via a facile sol-gel method. This synthesis produced a WO3/rGO material with exceptional
photocatalytic capabilities, overcoming the limitations of pristine WO3 and rGO materials. The enhanced
photocatalytic activity of WO3/rGO is attributed to the efficient charge transfer from WO3 to the
interconnected rGO network, which extends the lifetime of photogenerated charge carriers.
Characterization of the synthesized materials using modern analytical techniques, including XRD, SEM,
EDX, FTIR, UV-Vis DRS, and BET, confirmed their structural and morphological properties. The WO3/rGO
composites demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activity in decomposing the organic dye methylene blue
(MB) and antibiotic pollutants like ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation. Furthermore,
reusability studies revealed that rGO acts as an effective adsorbent while WO3 provides catalytic activity,
highlighting the potential of rGO as a support material for WO3 catalytic centers. The durability of the
WO3/rGO material was demonstrated through three cycles of use, maintaining over 87% efficiency in
methylene blue degradation under visible light. These results underscore the promising application of
WO3/rGO material for organic pollutant removal in wastewater treatment processes.